Life Can Be Sweeter With The Right Ingredients
by MusicalLife17
Summary: What if Charlie didn't take his Grandpa Joe to the Factory. He took his older sister Natalie instead. Based on JohnnyDepp-Wonka. Starts out like the movie with more chapters after the movie ends.
1. Natalie

After a long day, Natalie checked the Clock above her. Finally it was time to leave. She said Goodbye to her boss and put her apron on the hook. She was so happy to leave. Don't get me wrong, working at Fathingham's Candy Store was a fantastic job but at the end of the day Natalie just wanted to get home to her family. As she walked the snowy pathways of Cherry street, she wrapped her tattered scarf a little tighter abound her neck. God bless her grandmother for knitting it for her. The night air was settling in so she quickly walked through the snow and up to the tiny crooked house where she and her family lived.

"Sorry I'm late." she said putting her bag on the chair.

"That's alright darling how was work?" her mother, Mrs. Bucket, asked from the kitchen.

"Same as usual. but there was some extra inventory so Jimmy let me work in the kitchen. I brought home something for after dinner." replied Natalie. She walked over to the table where her younger brother was doing his homework. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a hug.

"Hey Charlie, how was school?" she asked.

"Alright." he replied. Natalie walked over to the large bed in the middle of the room, where her grandparents were. She said hello to each of them and gave them a kiss before helping her mother in the kitchen with dinner. A few moments later their father came home from work.

"Evening Bucket's." he said from the doorway.

"Evening" replied the adults.

"Hi Dad." said the kids. Mr. Bucket walked over and gave his wife and daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"I don't suppose there's anything to add to dinner?" asked Mrs. Bucket subtly. Mr. Bucket shook his head before walking over and sitting at the table with his son.

"Charlie. I think I have something you might like." he said, pulling a couple of deformed toothpaste caps out of his pocket.

"It's just what I needed!" exclaimed Charlie. He raced over to a cupboard and pulled out his Wonka's Chocolate Factory model.

"Dad found it…the missing piece. A head for Willy Wonka." he said happily, showing it to his grandparents.

"It's quite a likeness." complemented Grandpa Joe.

"You really think so?" asked Charlie.

"He should know he used to work for him" said Natalie.

"You worked for Willy Wonka Grandpa?" asked Charlie. He couldn't believe that his own Grandfather had met and worked for his hero.

"I did. About 20 years ago. I remember you sister was about 4. " said Grandpa Joe. He told Charlie about the good old days when Willy Wonka started in a single candy store on Cherry Street.

"That's near where you work." said Charlie to Natalie.

"Not just near. I work in the exact same store. Jimmy bought the shop from Mr. Wonka just after the factory was opened." said Natalie.

"Tell them about the Indian Prince, they'd like to hear that." said Grandma Josephine.

"You mean Prince Pondicherry?" asked Grandpa Joe.

"Yeah Grandpa I love that one!" said Natalie as she and her mother brought the bowls of soup around.

So Grandpa told the Story of the prince who asked Mr. Wonka to build him a palace mad entirely out of chocolate and how after that Mr. Wonka faced a terrible problem.

"All the other candy makers grew extremely jealous of Mr. Wonka's success. So they started to send in spies to steal his secret Recipes. In time, word leaked out and everyone had a new invention. Mr. Wonka was forced to send all his workers home, telling them that he had to close his factory forever." said Grandpa Joe.

"But the factory didn't close forever. It's open right now." said Charlie.

"Ah yes, but sometimes Charlie, when grown ups say "forever," they mean, "a very long time." explained Mrs. Bucket.

"Such as I feel as though I've eaten nothing but cabbage soup forever." said Grandpa George.

"Grandpa." warned Natalie.

"The factory did close, Charlie, and it seemed like it was going to stay closed forever. Then one day, we saw smoke rising from the chimneys. The factory was back in business!" said Grandpa Joe.

"Did you get your job back?" asked Charlie.

"No. Nobody did." said Grandpa Joe. Natalie got up and walked over to where she put her bag. She pulled out a tin.

"Here everyone." she opened the lid to show little chocolate-covered marshmallows. She handed one to each of them.

"If Mr. Wonka ever tried this Nat he should look you up and hire you." Said Mr. Bucket.

"But there must be people working there...at the factory." said Charlie.

"Think about it, Charlie. Have you ever seen a single person going into that factory? Or coming out of it?" asked Grandma Josephine.

"No. the gates are always closed. But then who's running the machines?" asked Charlie.

"Nobody knows." said Mrs. Bucket.

"It's a mystery and always will be a mystery!" snapped Grandpa George. "That little model of your's Charlie is the closest any of us are ever gonna get. Anything else is impossible."

"Come on kids. I think we better let your grandparent's rest." said Mrs. Bucket.

The two said goodnight to the parents and grandparents. When Charlie got around to Grandma Georgina, she whispered something to Charlie.

"Nothing's impossible my dear boy." she said. Charlie smiled; he hugged his sister and climbed up the ladder to his bed.

A little while later Natalie went up to the room that she shared with Charlie. However she noticed that his bed was empty. She walked over to the tiny hole in the wall and saw Charlie sitting on the balcony that their father had built. She grabbed a blanket and sat next to him.

"What are you still doing up?" she asked as she wrapped the blanket around their shoulders.

"Can't sleep." said Charlie. They gazed out at the view of Wonka's Chocolate factory. Natalie held her brother close.

"Don't worry Charlie. We'll get there someday." she reassured him.

"Nat, you remember that song you used to sing to me when I was little?" asked Charlie.

"yeah." she replied.

"Can you sing it now?" wondered Charlie.

"Sure."

"_Somewhere over the rainbow way up high. there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow sky's are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday ill wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops a way upon the chimney tops that's where you'll find me. Somewhere over the rainbow. Blue birds fly birds fly over the rainbow why then oh why cant I_."

Nat looked down to find Charlie asleep on her lap. She smiled and carried him to his bed before going to her own to read. About an hour later, when she turned off the light she sat and thought to herself.

"_If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why oh why cant I?"_


	2. Golden Tickets

The next morning, Natalie didn't have to go into work until late

The next morning, Natalie didn't have to go into work until late. So she promised Charlie that she would walk him to school. They said goodbye to their parents and grandparents and set off don't the street. Once they arrived in Cherry Street, a huge crowd of people were occupying a near-by telephone poll. The two young Buckets walked over, curious to see what the commotion was. There, posted on the poll, was a letter from Willy Wonka.

_Dear People of the World,_

_I, Willy Wonka, have decided to allow five children to visit my factory this year._

_In addition, one of these children will also win a special prize, beyond their wildest imaginations. All you have to do is look under any ordinary wrapper of any Wonka product and search for a Golden Ticket. These tickets could be in any store, in any country of the world._

_Good Luck_

_Willy Wonka._

"Great." sighed Natalie.

"What's wrong?" asked Charlie.

"You know what this means. Work is gonna be hectic until all those tickets are found." she said. Charlie laughed. He gave Nat a hug before he headed off to school and she headed off to the madness that the store was to become.

Nat arrived at Farthingham's just as the trucks had finished unloading.

"Did you hear?" asked Jimmy, handing her a box of Wonka bars.

"Yeah, there's posters' covering the streets." said Natalie.

"Do you know what this is going to do for business?" asked Jimmy excitedly.

"Do you know what it's going to do to our heads?" asked Nat. they walked inside and unpacked the boxes. There was an extra Wonka Candy Bar in the inventory. Nat checked the invoices over and over again but it wasn't listed. She decided to hold onto it until she had enough money to buy it for Charlie. What was the harm? Nobody knew that it was even there. Nat stored it in the pocket of her apron until she could go to the back and put it in her locker. Outside there was a huge group of people eagerly waiting for the store to open. Jimmy walked over and turned over the open sign.

"Well here goes nothing." he said. At that moment the crowd of people barged through the doors and demanded Wonka bars. one woman even asked for 4 at one point then returned that afternoon for another half a dozen! This was going to be a long day.

Natalie sighed and took her apron off faster than you could say Wonka Bar. No tickets were found just yet, so the days were only going to get worse. Nat went to her locker and put the candy bar inside. She grabbed her bag and left for home. On her way she passed by Wonka's factory, as she did every night. Nat stopped at the gate and stared at the large, grey factory. What ever happened to the amazing chocolatier? She wrapped her hands around the cold, metal bars of the front gate and rested her head against them. With one big sigh, she continued her journey home.

"I saw the huge crowd in the shop today when I was walking home." said Charlie.

"That wasn't even half of it. Every hour more and more came. Some even returned a second time. We ran out of stock so quickly that we had to order more just for today." said Nat, collapsing on the couch with a book.

"Couldn't it be something Charlie to open a candy bar and find a golden ticket inside." said Grandpa Joe.

"It would be great. But I only get one candy bar a year, for my birthday. Or the occasional one that Nat brings home." said Charlie.

"Well it's your birthday next week. You never know what could happen" said Mrs. Bucket.

"I'm feeling tired so i'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight." said Charlie as he went upstairs and went to bed. Unknown to everyone downstairs, he wasn't asleep.

"It really would be great for Charlie to win a ticket. He's such a nice boy. He deserves some luck."

"It wont happen. The kids who find those golden tickets will be the ones who can afford to buy candy every day. Charlie only gets candy on rare occasion."

"Charlie has as just as much luck as anyone." said Natalie. Charlie smiled. His sister always stood up for him.

"Come on Grandpa; don't tell me that you don't believe that Charlie deserves something like this." asked Natalie.

"Of Course he deserves it darling. I was only thinking logically. but mark my words the first finder will be fat, fat, fat."


	3. Agustus & Veruca

That afternoon the family gathered around the television

That afternoon the family gathered around the television. The first two tickets had been found, which only made business crazier at work for Natalie.

"The Winner of the first Golden Ticket was of course Augustus Gloop, of Dusseldorf , Germany." said the reporter. The image on the screen changed to a boy about standing with his parents. He was huge. His face was covered with chocolate and he had about two half-eaten Wonka bars in his hands and another sticking out of his pocket.

"told you he'd be a porker!" said Grandpa George.

"I took a bite out of the chocolate and I tasted something that was not chocolate. Or coconut. Or peanut butter. Or caramel. Or nougat. Or sprinkles. I look at it and I find the golden ticket!" he exclaimed, holding up the ticket with a bite taken out of it.

"We knew Augustus would find a ticket, with the amount of candy he eats everyday it was not possible for him not to find one!" said a woman how could only be his mother.

"So Augustus, how did you celebrate?" asked a German reported.

"I eat more candy!" replied Augustus, taking yet another bite out of his bar.

"What a repulsive boy!" aid Grandma Josephine.

"Despicable." said Grandma Georgina.

"You don't know what we're talking about." said Grandpa George. everyone turned to face her.

"Dragonflies?" she wondered. Nat and Mrs. Bucket smiled.

"The second golden ticket was found in Buckinghamshire, England by Veruca Salt."

The screen shifted to a young girl standing with her parents.

"When my little Veruca told me she wanted on of these golden tickets I knew I must find her one. So I bought as many cases of Wonka bars that I could lay my hands on. I'm in the nut business you see. So I told my workers to search the candy bars till I could get my little girl what she wanted. And I did." replied Mr. Salt.

"She's worse than the fat boy!" said Grandpa George.

"I don't think that's fair, she didn't find the ticket herself." said Charlie.

"Don't worry Charlie, that man spoils his daughter. no good can ever come from spoiling a child like that," said Grandpa Joe.

"I think we're all thankful that Charlie didn't turn out like that." Grandma Josephine whispered to her husband, who nodded in agreement. Just then Mr. and Mrs. Bucket came through the door.

"Charlie, your mum and I thought you might want to open your birthday present tonight?" Mr. Bucket wondered. Charlie smiled as his mother handed him a wrapped parcel.

"Maybe I should wait till morning." said Charlie.

"Like Hell." said Grandpa George.

"Pops" said Mr. Bucket.

"All together we're 381 years old. We don't wait." laughed Grandpa Joe.

"Charlie you mustn't be too disappointed. You know if you don't get the…" said Mrs. Bucket.

"Whatever happens, you'll still have the candy." said Mr. Bucket.

Charlie took a deep breath and ripped off the packaging. All that was there was chocolate.

"Oh well, that's that." said Grandpa Joe.

"Here everyone take a piece." offered Charlie.

"No Charlie not your birthday present." said Nat.

"It's my candy; I'll do what I want with It." said Charlie. He broke the bar into eight even bits and handed one to each of his family members.

He knew he didn't really have a chance, but he was still disappointed. It would have been nice to win something.


	4. Violet & Mike

Charlie had waited for Nat to finish work so they could go home to see who won the third golden ticket

Charlie had waited for Nat to finish work so they could go home to see who won the third golden ticket. They raced through the fence and inside.

"Come on let's see who got It." said Mrs. Bucket. Charlie handed the paper to his father as his mother fiddled around with the knobs on the TV.

"The third ticket was found by Miss Violet Beauregarde of Atlanta, Georgia" read Mr. Bucket.

The TV turned on to show a little blonde girl, standing in a trophy room with her mother, who was dressed in the same outfit as her daughter.

"I'm a gum chewer, mostly, but when I heard about these ticket things, I laid off gum and switched to candy bars." said Violet, snapping he gum as she talked.

"It says here that one of the kids is gonna win that special prize. I don't care who those other four kids are that kid is gonna be me"

"Tell them why, Violet." said Mrs. Beauregarde.

"Because I am a winner." replied Violet.

"This just in! The fourth ticket has been found. I repeat the fourth golden ticket has been found. We cross now live to Colorado." said the reporter as the camera tuned into someone's living room. A middle-aged couple stood there amongst the flashed of cameras. A boy was sitting on the floor playing a video game. he explained something about tracking manufacturing codes and something about cracking the system, before continuing with his game.

"In the end I only had to buy one candy bar." said Mike.

"And how did it taste?" asked a reporter.

"I don't know. I hate chocolate." said Mike.

"Well it's a good thing you're going to a chocolate factory you ungrateful little b…" yelled grandpa George. Natalie had managed to race over to Charlie and cover his ears before he heard their grandpa shout any profanities.

"Why would anyone want to visit a chocolate factory if they didn't like chocolate." wondered Natalie.

"…That question is where is the last remaining golden ticket?" wondered the TV reporter.

"Charlie!" whispered Grandpa Joe. Charlie crept downstairs and went to see his grandfather. He held up a shiny silver coin.

"You and I are going to have one last crack and finding that last golden ticket." whispered Grandpa Joe.

"Are you sure you want to spend your money on that grandpa?" asked Charlie.

"Of course I'm sure. Now, go down to the nearest store and bring back the first bar you see." said Grandpa Joe. A little while later, Charlie returned with a Wonka bar.

"Which end should we open?" wondered Grandpa Joe.

"Just open it quickly, just like a band aid." said Charlie. They closed their eyes and ripped the packet. Nothing.

"Oh Well Grandpa. It was worth a shot." sighed Charlie. Upstairs, Natalie was listening to everything. Oh how she wished that a miracle could happen.


	5. Miracles Happen

As Natalie walked to her work, she read the morning's newspaper

As Natalie walked to her work, she read the morning's newspaper. _WONKA'S FINAL GOLDEN TICKET FOUND IN RUSSIA. _Well there was one good thing about today; work wasn't going to be as busy. Although it couldn't have come at a worse time. Natalie had finally saved up enough money to finally buy that chocolate bar for Charlie. At least he's have the chocolate. She walked into the store to find it back to usual business. Mr. Jefferies bought his morning paper. Ms. D'Arenzo purchased her coffee and sat at her usual table in the corner, reading her trashy magazines and after school the children would arrive to spend their allowance on whatever they laid their eyes on. Natalie sat at the Counter, drawing pictures in the light layer of dust that the counter had collected.

"Well personally I'm glad its over." said Jimmy.

"Huh?" asked Natalie, returning from her daydream.

"Those ticket things. I'm glad it's over. Even if it was good for business." said Jimmy.

The remainder of the day went by slowly. Nat had to leave early as she needed to get home to help her family. Her father had unfortunately lost his job at the toothpaste factory. But Jimmy being the understanding guy that he was agreed. Nat grabbed her coat and bag and put some cash in the till.

"Ok Jimmy I'm off. I put some extra money in the till. Charlie's gonna come around after school and pick up a chocolate bar I bought for him. I left it on the counter." said Natalie.

"Sure thing Nat. Say hi to your folks for me." yelled Jimmy from the back.

"Will do." said Nat as she Left the store.

As promised Charlie turned up at the store after school.

"Hey Charlie long time no see. How you been?" asked Jimmy after serving a costumer.

"Great thanks Jimmy." replied Charlie.

"Nat left a while ago. She left something for you on the counter."

"Thanks Jimmy." Charlie searched around until he found a Wonka Bar. A woman threw her newspaper on the counter.

"The nerve of some people." she said.

"I know. Forging a golden ticket." laughed Jimmy. Forging a ticket? That meant there was one ticket still left. After thinking about it, Charlie decided to open it there. He pulled back the papers as fast as his trembling hands could go. He peeled back the silver foil to reveal a hint of gold. Charlie's eyes grew large.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked the woman. Jimmy turned to Charlie and smiled.

"Charlie, you found. It! you found Wonka's last golden ticket!" he said.

"Listen kid, I'll buy it off you for 50. And I'll get you a new bike." offered a man.

"Are you crazy, young man I'll pay you 500 for It." said the newspaper woman.

"Stop it all of you!" said Jimmy. "Charlie listen to me. Hold onto that ticket. Run straight home and don't stop until you get there!" he said. Charlie raced out the door. he ran through the street as fast as he could. he passed Nat, who was walking home and ran straight past her.

"Charlie?" it wasn't until she saw a glimmer of gold in his hand.

"CHARLIE!" she screamed. She ran up to the house to find Charlie yelling.

"What's going on?" she asked, completely out of breath.

"I did it! I found the last golden ticket." exclaimed Charlie as he handed it to Grandpa Joe. He took one look at it and jumped out of bed!

"Wait, wait, wait. You mean you found that in the Wonka bar I left on the counter?" asked Nat.

"Yeah."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" exclaimed Natalie.

"What is it sweetheart?" asked Grandma Josephine.

"That was extra inventory I found before the whole thing. I kept it in my locker until I had enough money to buy it for Charlie. I had the fifth golden ticket all along." said Nat as she sat on the couch.

"Well come on, read it aloud what does it say?" asked Grandpa Joe.

"_Congratulations, lucky finder of the Golden Ticket from Mr Willy Wonka, I shake you warmly by the hand for now I do invite you to come to my factory for one whole day. I, Willy Wonka, shall escort you around the factory myself showing you everything there is to see. Afterwards, when it is time to leave, you will be escorted out of the factory followed by a procession of large trucks each one filled with all the candy you could ever eat. And remember one of you lucky five children shall receive an extra prize beyond your wildest imaginations. Now here are your instructions; on the first of February be at the factory gates at 10am sharp. You are allowed to bring one member of your family to look after you. Till then, Willy Wonka"_

"The first of February…that's tomorrow!" said Mrs. Bucket.

"Then there's not a moment to lose. Charlie comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face." said Grandpa Joe.

"And get that mud off your pants." said Grandpa George.

"Hang on first we need to decide who's going with Charlie." said Mrs. Bucket.

"I'm not going." said Charlie. Everyone looked at him.

"A woman offered me 500 dollars for the ticket. We need the money more than the chocolate." said Charlie. Natalie knelt down to Charlie.

"Charlie listen to me. There's plenty of money out there. They print more everyday. But these tickets there are only five in the world. And that's all there ever will be. All your life you've wanted to go to that factory and here's your chance. You deserve this. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Don't tell me that my little brother is a dummy?" said Nat. Charlie shook his head.

"Who's gonna go with him?" wondered Mr. Bucket.

"There's only one person to take him. And that's Natalie." said Grandpa Joe.

"Grandpa are you sure. All you ever talk about is how much you want to see the factory again." said Nat.

"My darlings I have seen the factory and all it's glories. My wish has always been for you both to see it and experience its wonder. And now my wish comes true. Besides, if not for you, Charlie would never have found the ticket in the first place." said Grandpa Joe warmly.

"Well what do you say Charlie. Can you let your sister tag along on your adventure?" asked Natalie.

"Of Course." smiled Charlie.

"Then get that mud off your pants. you both have a factory to go to!" sail Grandpa George.


	6. The Big Day Arrives

The next day Charlie was up and ready to go

The next day Charlie was up and ready to go. Both he and Natalie had set out their best clothes the night before. Charlie decided to wear his best sweater and pants. Natalie wore a brown summer dress with a cardigan over the top. Her brown hair fell down her back in curls, which was kept out of her face with a couple of clips. They said goodbye to their grandparents and they and their parents went to the factory. When they got there the streets were packed with reporters and spectators, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the wonderful Willy Wonka and his factory. They showed the police officers their golden ticket and were able to pass through. With a final goodbye they went up to the gate with the other ticket winners. Charlie and Natalie stood next to Veruca Salt and her father. The Salt's took one look at them and turned their noses up in the air. On their left were the German boy and his mother. Yet again he was chomping on a chocolate bar.

"Daddy I want to go in!" demanded Veruca.

"It's 9:59 sweetheart." said her father.

"Make time go Faster!" snapped the beastly child. Suddenly the gates opened and a loud voice could be heard.

"Please Enter" the five winners and their guardians entered though the gates.

"Dear Guests. Welcome to my humble factory. Who am I you may ask? "

A red curtain at the front of the factory's entrance opened to reveal a variety of puppets.

_Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka_

_The amazing chocolatier_

_Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka_

_Everybody give a cheer_

_He's modest, clever, and so smart, _

_He barely can restrain it_

_There's so much generosity_

_There is nowhere to contain it…to contain it_

_To contain, to contain, to contain!"_

Natalie and Charlie looked at each other with a worried glance.

"_Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka_

_He's the one that you're about to meet_

_Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,_

_He's the genius who just can't be beat_

_The magician and the chocolate wiz_

_He's the best darn guy who ever lived…_

_Willy Wonka, here he is!"_

A red throne rose up from the ground…but it was empty. The song ended amongst fireworks. However they flew out of control and the puppets went up in flames. The sound of clapping and cheering could be heard. Everyone turned to see a strange man standing there clapping non stop.

"Wasn't that wonderful?" he asked.

"I was afraid the ending was a little weird but that finale…wow." he said as he walked up on to the stage. He wore strange bug-eye glasses, a long purple coat, a top hat and gloves.

"Who are you?" asked Violet Beauregarde rudely. The man just stood there smiling silently.

"He's Willy Wonka!" said Natalie.

"Really?" asked Charlie. Once again the man said nothing, until.

"Good Morning star shine. The Earth says hello!" he said happily. The group exchanged worried glances. Willy Wonka pulled out some cue cards.

"Dear guests. Greetings. Welcome to my factory. I shake you warmly by the hand" he said extending his hand before pulling it ways quickly. "My name is Willy Wonka."

"Then shouldn't you be up there?" asked Veruca, pointing to the throne.

"Well I couldn't very well watch the show from up there now could I little girl. Let's get a move on kids. A lot to see not long to do it in." he said. They all followed him behind the curtain and through the melting puppets.

"Don't you want to know our names?" wondered Augustus.

"Cant see why it would matter." said Mr. Wonka. They all entered a large hallway. The walls were white with a long red carpet on the floor.

"Just drop your coats anywhere." instructed Mr. Wonka. Everyone took off their Coats and jackets and threw them on the ground. Mr. Wonka took off his jacket and glasses. Natalie finally got a good look at his face. He had sort of a pale complexion and big lavender colored eyes. To be perfectly honest, he was actually quite good looking.

"Gee Mr. Wonka isn't it kinda toasty in here." said Mr. Teevee.

"What? Oh Yeah. I need to be warm because my worker's are used to such hot climates. They can't stand the cold." explained Mr. Wonka.

"Who are the workers?" asked Charlie. Mr. Wonka smiled at him_. 'God he has a cute smile' _though Natalie.

"All in good time." said Mr. Wonka. "Now let's get movin" he said. The group proceeded down the hallway when Violet stopped to hug Mr. Wonka, catching him by surprise.

"Mr. Wonka I'm Violet Beauregarde." she said, snapping her gum.

"Oh, I don't care." he said, clearly freaked out by this sudden contact. They continued down the hall.

"Well you should care. Because I'm the girl whose gonna win that special prize." said Violet matter-of-factly.

"Well you seen very confident and confidence is key." said Mr. Wonka. Once again he stopped walking when Veruca appeared in front of him.

"I'm Veruca Salt. I'm very pleased to meet you sir." she said with a curtsy.

"I always thought a verruca was a little wart that you got on the bottom of your foot." laughed Mr. Wonka. Someone laughed from the back of the group. _'Wow what a pretty laugh.' _thought Mr. Wonka. It was Augustus' turn to interrupt now,

"I'm Augustus Gloop. I _love_ your chocolate." said the boy, shoveling more chocolate into his mouth. Mr. Wonka looked disgusted.

"I can see that. So do I. never expected to have so much in common." he said. He stopped and turned around to face the group.

"You. You're Mike Teevee. You're the little devil who cracked the system." he said.

"And you." he said looking at Charlie.

"Well you're just luck to be here aren't you." he said. Then he turned to the adults.

"And the rest of you must be their P.. pa.." he stuttered. The adults looked confused.

"Parents?" asked Mr. Salt.

"Yeah Mom's and Dad's." said Mr. Wonka. Suddenly his expression darkened.

"Dad…Papa." he mumbled.

"Mr. Wonka." said Natalie. He finally snapped out of his daze.

"Huh." he turned to see a young woman standing in front of him.

"Are you alright?" asked Natalie.

"Uh Yeah. You seem awfully young to be the boy's mother, right?" asked Mr. Wonka. Natalie laughed.

"Yeah I'm Charlie's sister Natalie." smiled Nat.

"Oh Ok. Well let's keep movin' then." said Mr. Wonka as once again they mady their way down the hall.


	7. The Chocolate Room

They made their way through the hallway, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller

They made their way through the hallway, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. At the end they reached a tiny door.

"Now this is probably one of the most important rooms of all. After all, it is a chocolate factory." explained Willy.

"Then Why is the door so small?" asked Mike.

"Why that's to keep all the big chocolaty goodness inside." laughed Willy. He fiddled with his keys and unlocked the door. He pushed it open to reveal an amazing sight. There inside was a giant room filled with bright colors, and amazing sights. There was even a river and a waterfall. It was like a dream.

"Its beautiful." whispered Charlie.

"What, oh yeah it's really beautiful." said Willy. Natalie was mesmerized by its beauty. The trees, the flowers, the grass, everything looked so amazing. Willy guided them around the room, explaining different things about it.

"Every drop of that river is hot melted Chocolate." said Willy. Charlie was in awe. He had never seen so much chocolate in his life.

"The waterfall is most important. It mixes the chocolate, making it light and frothy. Did you know that no other factory in the world mixes its chocolate by waterfall?" asked Willy. They continued to walk.

"Do you like my grass?" asked Willy. "Go on have a blade; it's so delectable and so darn good looking." said Willy.

"You can eat the grass?" wondered Charlie. Willy smiled.

"Oh course you can. Everything that you see in this room is eatable. Even me. I'm eatable too. But that, my dear children, is called cannibalism and is frowned upon in most countries." said Willy. Natalie laughed. he looked up and smiled at her. _'So that was her laugh.' _

"Enjoy." he said. The children and their parents went off into different directions to explore the chocolate room. Charlie and Natalie walked over towards the river bank. He picked a candy flower and handed it to Natalie. She smiled and took a bite out of it. The taste was so incredible. It just melted in her mouth. Just then Willy came up and stood beside her.

"So what do you think?" he asked her.

"You want to know what I think Mr. Wonka?" she wondered. He nodded.

"I think it's the most amazing place I have ever seen. Better than anything I could ever have imagined." she said smiling. He smiled back.

"If you don't mind me asking, how come you're here and not his p…pa" he said. Nat laughed.

"Well Charlie and I sort of had this dream of coming and seeing the factory. Our grandpa used to work here and he used to tell us the most amazing stories. So he suggested that I came here with Charlie since he found the ticket at my work." explained Nat.

"Where do you work?" asked Willy.

"Fathingham's Candy store on Cherry Street." said Natalie. Willy though for a moment. That name sounded so familiar. a man named Jimmy Farthingham bought the shop from him when he opened his factory all those years ago. So this young woman worked at the place where everything began. His thoughts were interrupted.

"Daddy look over there! It's a little person!" exclaimed Veruca. everyone went to the river bank to see a couple of little people working on the other side of the river.

"What are they?" asked Mrs. Beauregarde.

"Are they real people?" asked Mike.

"Of Course they're real people. they're Oompa Loompa's." said Willy as he stood with the group. Natalie and Charlie stood beside him.

"Oompa Loompas?" wondered Mr. Salt.

"From Loompa Land." said Willy.

"There's no such place." said Mr. Teevee. Willy looked shocked.

"What?"

"Mr. Wonka I teach high school geography and there…"

"Well then you'll know all about it and oh what a terrible place it is." he said. Willy explained that many years ago we went to Loompa Land in search of exotic new flavors for candy. but instead he found the oompa loompas. he also explained how the thing the crave most was the cocoa bean, the very thing that chocolate is made of. so he offered them to come and work with him in the factory, in exchange for all the cocoa beans they could ever want.

"I must warn you though. They are rather mischievous. Always making jokes." he said.

"AUGUSTUS MY SON THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING YOU DO!" shouted Mrs. Gloop. Everyone turned to see Augustus bent over the chocolate river, shoveling the hot liquid into his mouth.

"Hey little boy my chocolate must not be touched my human hands!" said Willy. But he didn't listen he just kept helping himself to the chocolate. As he went back for more, Augustus fell into the river. Willy rolled his eyes. At that moment a pipe came down and began to suck the chocolate, pulling Augustus into the whirlpool and up the pipe. But unfortunately, he got stuck halfway. The oompa loompas appeared then.

"What are they doing?" asked Charlie.

"I believe they're going to treat us to a little song. it is a special occasion of course." said Willy.

_Augustus Gloop! Augustus Gloop!  
The great big greedy nincompoop!  
Augustus Gloop!  
So big and vile  
So greedy, foul, and infantile  
'Come on!' we cried, 'The time is ripe  
To send him shooting up the pipe!  
But don't, dear children, be alarmed;  
Augustus Gloop will not be harmed,  
Augustus Gloop will not be harmed  
Although, of course, we must admit  
He will be altered quite a bit.  
Slowly, the wheels go round and round,  
The cogs begin to grind and pound;  
We boil him for a minute more,  
Until we're absolutely sure  
Then out he comes! And now! By grace!  
A miracle has taken place!  
A miracle has taken place!  
This greedy brute, this louse's ear,  
Is loved by people everywhere!  
For who could hate or bear a grudge  
Against a luscious bit of fudge?"_

At the end of the song Augustus was sucked up the pipe and carried of to one of the many rooms.

"Where is my son? Where does that pipe go to?" asked Mrs. Gloop.

"That pipe leads to the room where I make the most delicious strawberry-flavored-chocolate-covered fudge." said Willy.

"Then…my son is going to be turned into strawberry flavored chocolate coated fudge, and they'll be selling him by the pound all over the world?" asked Mrs. Gloop, the fear in her voice rising every second.

"No I wouldn't allow it. Besides, can you imagine Augustus-flavoured chocolate coated fugde. Eww! No one would buy it." said Willy. Natalie had to stifle a laugh. This was a serious situation. But luckily she wasn't the only one. Mr. Wonka then turned around and made a strange sound. A moment later they saw an Oompa Loompa next to him.

"I want you to take Mrs.Gloop to the fudge room, okay?" Willy ordered, "Help her find her son. Then take a big stick and poke around in a large chocolate mixing barrel ok?" He crossed his arms on his chest, and the Ooompa Loompa did the same, nodding. Willy then told Mrs.Gloop to follow the man, and she did, leaving the group.

"Nat, Mr. Wonka was only joking right? I mean Augustus will be ok right." asked Charlie.

"Oh course Honey, that boy will be fine." reassured Natalie. Luckily he wasn't looking when she had a worried look on her face.

The group stood on the banks of the river, when they saw a beautiful pink boat drift upriver.


	8. The Chocolate River

The guests admired the vessel approached them, finally coming to a stop just in front of where they were standing

The beautiful pink ship docked in front of them. Inside were at least two dozen oompa loompas rowing. once they stopped, they started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Violet, snapping her gum as usual. Natalie was really starting to get annoyed with that sound.

"Must be from all those dog-gone cocoa beans!" Willy suggested.

"Did you guys know that chocolate has an ingredient which releases endorphins into your body? Gives one the feeling…" he stopped when he noticed that both he and Natalie were looking straight at each other.

"…of being in love." He finished. They both blushed when he mentioned this.

"OK a-all aboard!" he announced, with a forced giggle.

Everyone jumped onto the boat, with each child taking a seat next to their parent. Willy held out his hand to Natalie.

"Here let me help you." he said. Natalie smiled as she took his hand and sat at the back of the boat, followed by Charlie then Willy.

"Onwards!"

The oompa loompas began to row again. The view from the boat was even more amazing than being on land. Natalie and Charlie just sat there in total awe just trying to believe the fact that they were actually there and not dreaming. Willy dipped a small ladle into the river below them and handed it to Charlie.

"Here, try this, you both look starved to death." he said. Charlie sipped the warm liquid and smiled.

"It's great!" he beamed before handing the ladle to his sister.

"Perfect." she said. Willy smiled at her. Natalie was thankful she was sitting down because at that moment her knees decided to give way.

"That's because the chocolate is mixed by waterfall. Churns it up. making it light and frothy. and did you know that no other factory in the world m-"

"You've already _said_ that," Veruca rudely interrupted him. Everyone had turned around to face Willy, waiting in anticipation to see what he would say next.

"You're all quite short aren't you." he said.

"Well yeah, we're children!" said Violet.

'_How rude can these children get?'_ wondered Natalie to herself.

"Well that's no excuse. I dont remember ever being as short as you." retorted Willy.

"You were once." insisted Mike.

"Was Not! You know why? I remember putting a hat on the top of my head. But with your short little arms there's no way you would ever reach." he said.

"Do you remember what it was like when you were young Mr. Wonka?" asked Charlie.

"Of Course I do." said Willy. Just then he went off into another one of his dazes. By the time he snapped out of it, they were headed into a dark tunnel.

"Turn on the lights." he shouted. The lights flickered on and the boat went down a huge fall and went cruising down vast rapids. The oompa loompas had since lost control of the boats direction and were just literally going with the flow. Willy looked around at his guests. Most of them looked fearful for their lives. Except the Bucket boy and his sister. They looked as if they loved it. Charlie looked to Willy and smiled. That little boy. There was something about him. And his sister. She had a beautiful smile and laugh and everything about her made him feel really…weird. He didn't understand it.

"Keep an eye out. Were passing some very important rooms." said Willy. They passed several rooms that you would expect to find in a chocolate factory and some…well only in Willy Wonka's factory. They passed a room entitled 'Hair Cream.'

"What do you use hair cream for?" wondered Mrs. Beauregard.

"To lock in moisture." said Willy, primping his hair. Both Charlie and Natalie looked at each other and giggled. They then floated past a room with an open window. Inside were a couple of oompa loompas whipping a cow.

"Whipped Cream!" said Charlie and Natalie together.

"Exactly!" laughed Willy.

"That doesn't make any sense!" snapped Veruca.

"Well for your information little girl. Whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped by whips. Everybody knows that." sneered Willy.

So they continued their journey until they came to another room.

"Stop the boat!" yelled Willy. "I wanna show you guys something!"

They all got out of the boat and were standing in front of a door. The sign above said 'Inventing Room'.


	9. Inventing Room Catastrophe

They all proceeded off the boat

They all proceeded off the boat. Willy once again helped Natalie off. they stared at a huge luminous sign saying. Inventing Room. Who knows what was inside. Willy's lips curled into a smile as he pushed the Inventing Room door open and led them inside.

"Now this is the most important room in the entire factory!" exclaimed Willy.

Charlie looked around. The room was mostly made out of metal, filled up with all sorts of weird machines. Each one made its own individual sound or action. Natalie thought it sort of looked like the science laboratory from when she was in high school. She really liked science…that and home economics. Both do to with inventing and creating.

"This, you see, is the room where I create all of my candies. That's why it's so important, and that's why I brought you here." Said Willy.

"Feel free to look around, but _please_, don't touch anything! Okay?"

Everyone nodded and then scattered around to explore the room. Natalie and Charlie looked around the room in amazement. There were so many things to see. Charlie walked over to a funny-looking machine and Natalie wandered over in another direction. Willy looked at her. She seemed really interested in all the machines His hands were shaking as he tried to muster up the courage to go talk to her again. No one else was near them so this should be the perfect time.

"So if you work in a candy store…you must like candy huh?" he asked her.

She turned around to face him. He only just noticed how beautiful her eyes were. They were the softest shade of blue that he had ever seen.

"I absolutely love it. The look, the smell…especially the taste." she laughed. Willy smiled.

"You see with the kind of upbringing Charlie and I had, we only get chocolate on very rare occasion. But that only made us love it more." beamed Natalie.

"I've even…don't worry." Natalie said.

"What?" said Willy.

"This might sound stupid…but sometimes I even make my own stuff at the store when there's loose inventory." she blushed. Willy was amazed by this.

"Hey Mr.Wonka What's this?" asked Violet, he gum snapping seemed to be getting louder every time she opened her big mouth. She was pointing to a very large, extravagant machine.

"Oh This" answered Willy, walking over to the group once more. Charlie met up with Natalie again.

"This is one of my newest machines inventions!" he said.

"Watch this!" He giggled and with that, he pulled a huge leaver down. The machine began to make strange noises and steam was shooting out of the top. From where they were standing, the children and their parents could see cogs and wheels of every shape and size, turning and meshing together. after a few moments, the machine slowly extended, what looked like some sort of mechanical arm. Once the piece of machinery unfolded, a loud ping, like a bell, could be heard and there, in the end of the machine, was a single strip of gum.

"That's _it?" _said Mike with disgust.

"Do you even know what _it_ is?" replied a now irritated Willy.

"It's gum," Violet said matter-of-factly.

"Not just any old gum," corrected Willy, "This here is the most revolutionary piece of gum ever, in the entire world! Know why?" he asked the group excitedly. Everyone shook their heads.

"Because this gum," he explained, "Is a full three-course meal, all by itself!"

"Why would anyone want that?" asked Mr.Salt.

"Why _wouldn't_ anyone want that?!" said Natalie.

Willy opened his mouth to speak, but instead reached inside his jacket, pulling out more of his cue cards.

"It will be the end of all kitchens and cooking! One strip of Wonka's gum is all you'll ever need for breakfast, lunch and dinner! This gum happens to be tomato soup, roast beef, and blueberry pie." read Willy.

"No more Cabbage Soup!" whispered Natalie to Charlie. They both giggled.

"Sounds wonderful," commented Mrs. Beauregarde.

"It sounds weird," said Mike, rolling his eyes.

"It sounds like my kind of gum!" Violet exclaimed. she took the gum from the machine and stuck her previous piece of gum behind her ear.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Willy warned her, "Because I haven't gotten the formula quite right yet, so…"

"I'm the world champion of gum chewing," Violet snapped at him, "I'm not afraid of _anything_!" and with that, she put the gum in her mouth and began to chew.

"How is it, honey?" asked her mother. Violet's eyes grew wide with amazement.

"It's amazing! Tomato soup! I can feel it running down my throat!"

"Yeah…spit it out," said Willy, with a nervous giggle.

"It's changing!" exclaimed the girl, ignoring him, "Roast beef, with baked potato! Delicious crispy skin with tones of butter!" exclaimed Violet.

"Keep chewing, kiddo," her mother urged proudly. "My daughter is going to be first person ever to have a gum meal!" she said to the others.

"Yeah," said Willy. "I'm just a bit concerned about the…"

"Blueberry pie and Vanilla Ice Cream!" said Violet.

"…that part," said Willy.

"What's happening to her nose?" Veruca interrupted her.

Everybody's looked went to Violet's nose

"Violet…You're…your whole face is turning…purple Violet…you're turning violet!" Within seconds the little girl was completely coloured violet. she looked the same colour as the tracksuit she was wearing. Mrs. Beauregarde turned to face Willy, who was looking very nervous.

"what's happening to my daughter?!" he screeched.

"Well I told you I didn't quite have it right…I'm…i'm terribly sorry!" and with that he quickly disappeared.

"M-mother?" Violet asked, her voice shaking, "What's happening?"

They all took a few steps back when they noticed she was swelling up until she was the size of a balloon.

Willy suddenly re-appeared beside Mrs. Beauregarde.

"I've tried it on like twenty Oompa Loompas, and they all swell up like a blueberry at the end. it's just weird!" he said.

"I can't have a blueberry as a daughter!" Mrs. Beauregarde protested, "How is she supposed to compete?"

"You could entre her in the county fair," Veruca suggested spitefully. Four Oompa Loompas appeared before the group. once again they began to sing.

_Listen close, and listen hard, the tale of Violet Beauregarde.  
The dreadful girl she sees no wrong..._

Chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing all day long.

Chewing, chewing all day long.  
Chewing, chewing all day long.  
Chewing, chewing all day long.

She goes on chewing till at last, her chewing muscles grow so fast.  
And from her face her giant chin, sticks out just like a violin...

For years and years she chews away, her jaws get stronger every day.  
And with one great tremendous chew...they bite the poor girl's toungue in two.  
And that is why we try so hard, to save Miss Violet Beauregarde.

_Chewing, chewing all day long.  
Chewing, chewing all day long.  
Chewing, chewing all day long._

The little men began to roll Violet towards the door. it took all of then just to get her going._  
_

"Where are they taking her?" asked Mrs. Beauregarde anxiously.

"To the juicing room," said Willy, as if there was nothing abnormal about that.

"The _juicing _room?" she echoed, "What are they going to do to her there?"

"They're gonna squeeze her!" he said brightly, "Like a little pimple!" he laughed, but then turned serious

"We have to get all of that juice out of her...it's the only way."

Without another word, Mrs. Beauregarde followed her daughter, who was calling out for her from the boat outside the room.

"_Let's boogie!_" Willy said as he lead the group out of the inventing room.

And once again, off they went.


	10. Don't Touch the Squirrels Nuts!

The remaining members of the group exited the Inventing Room and found themselves standing in a glistening white corridor

The remaining members of the group exited the Inventing Room and found themselves standing in a glistening white corridor.

Violet and her mother had been taken away on the pink boat by the Oompa Loompas so they had to go the rest of the way on foot.

"Now that the boat's gone, we'll have to move twice as fast just to keep up with the schedule," he was telling the group, who bustled to keep up with his quick pace.

Suddenly, a tiny voice could be heard.

"Mr.Wonka?" said Charlie

"Huh?" Willy turned around so that he was facing the young boy.

"Why did you decide to let people in after all these years?" he asked.

"So they could see the factory, of course!" laughed Willy, as if it was a stupid question. But Natalie knew what he meant.

"But why now? And why five?" she asked. Before he could answer her he was rudely interrupted.

"What's the special prize at the end?" asked Mike rudely.

Natalie rolled her eyes at him, but luckily Willy was used to his attitude by now.

"The best kind of prize is a SUR-prize!"

Natalie smiled. Willy looked at her and smiled as well, causing them to blush.

"Is Violet always going to be a blueberry?" asked Veruca.

"Yes...No…I don't know…Maybe…but that's what you get from chewing gum all day, it's just disgusting!" Willy said.

Moments later they came to a halt in front of a room with "**THE NUT SORTING ROOM" **written in big letters on the front.

"Ah this is a room I know all about." said Mr. Salt.

"You see Mr. Wonka I'm in the nut business myself." he informed, handing Willy his business card. Willy didn't even look at it. He just threw it away, over his shoulder. Natalie laughed but nobody else noticed, except Willy. She could have sworn that he winked at her, because her knees almost gave in on her. She just smiled before she blushed for about the hundredth time that day. Mr. Salt was still rambling on about his business.

"No you use the Havermax 4000 to do you sorting?" asked Mr. Salt.

"…No." said Willy simply. "…you're really weird!" he laughed before unlocking the door and allowing the group access to the room.

They all walked onto a platform in a white room. A strange sound could be heard from below. The group looked down to see no less than one hundred squirrels, all sitting on little seats cracking ,what seemed to be Walnuts.

"Squirrels!" gasped Veruca.

"yeah, squirrels." said Willy, not really paying attention to what was said.

"Why use squirrels and not Oompa Loompas?" asked Mr. Salt.

"Well you see only squirrels can get the whole nut out almost every time." explained Willy. "See how they tap them with their little knuckles."

"Daddy I want a squirrel. Get me one!" demanded Veruca.

"But Veruca darling, you already have many wonderful pets at home." insisted Mr. Salt.

"All I own is a pony, two dogs, four cats, six bunny rabbits, two parakeets, three canaries, a green parrot that talks, a turtle and a silly little hamster! I want a squirrel!" said the ungrateful little girl. Everyone rolled their eyes as to how unbelievable the girl was acting. All those animals and yet she still wanted more.

"Very Well darling." sighed Mr. Salt.

"But not just any ordinary squirrel, it has to be a trained squirrel!" said Veruca.

"Mr. Wonka, how much for a squirrel? Name your price." said Mr. Salt.

"Oh, She cant have one. She can't have one." said Willy. He said the last part real slowly as if he was talking to a young child. Veruca looked shocked. For the first time in her life she had been told no. the fake smile on her face suddenly fell. she turned to face her father.

"Daddy!"

"I'm sorry darling Mr. Wonka is being unreasonable!" said her fathers voice. but everyone noticed that his lips weren't moving. they turned to see that it was Willy that had spoke. Nat and Charlie were amazed.

"Just add that to the list of amazing things about this guy." thought Nat to herself.

"Well if you wont get me one…ill just have to do it myself!" said Veruca. she slid underneath the door and down the stairs towards the squirrels.

"Veruca Come back here at once!" demanded her Father.

"Little Girl, don't touch that squirrels nut's…it'll make him crazy!" warned Willy. After a few moments of searching she finally decided which one she wanted. Veruca attempted to reach for it but it jumped out of the way. Suddenly all of them started to rally around her. Willy began to franticly search for the right key to unlock the door.

"Let's find the key." he mumbled quietly to himself as he fumbled with the various keys. the squirrels had pushed Veruca to the floor and were trying to keep her down.

"There it is…there it isn't" said Willy.

"What are they doing?" asked Charlie. they all stopped and looked at the group of animals gathered around the tiny girl.

"Oh My Goodness…they've found that she is a bad nut!" said Willy. the squirrels all helped each other and ended up throwing the little girl down the garbage chute.

"Where does the chute go?" asked a very frantic Mr. Salt.

"The Incinerator…but don't worry we only light it on Tuesdays." said Willy. Everyone's mouths dropped open.

"Today IS Tuesday!" said Mike.

"Well their might be a small chance that they didn't light it today. but don't worry, if they didn't she might have gotten stuck so all you have to do is reach in and pull her out okay?" Willy said. He turned the small key and the door pushed open with a creak. Mr. Salt cautiously went down the steps to go and retrieve his daughter. Willy closed the door, when Natalie came up behind him.

"You didn't, by any chance, do that on purpose did you?" she whispered in his ear. Willy just smiled knowingly and winked at her. Natalie realized that he did wink at her before, because she went weak at the knees again. As if on cue the Oompa loompas gathered together once more.

_Veruca Salt, the little brute,  
Has just gone down the garbage chute  
And She will meet as she descends_

_  
A rather different set of friends  
A rather different set of friends  
A rather different set of friends_

_  
A fish head, for example, cut  
This morning from a halibut.  
An oyster from an oyster stew,  
A steak that no one else would chew,  
And lots of other things as well,  
Each with a rather horrid smell.  
horrid smell_

_  
These are Veruca's new found friends  
That she will meet as she descends,  
These are Veruca's new found friends  
The one's who spoiler her_

_  
Who indeed?  
Who pandered to her every need?  
Who turned her into such a brat?  
Who are the culprits? Who did that?  
The guilty ones now this is sad  
Dear Old Mum and Loving Dad_

Mr. Salt was pushed down the garbage chute so he could join his daughter.

"Come on Let's keep truckin!" said Willy as the group left to continue the tour.


	11. Dissolving Chocolate Bars & Little Boys

"I really don't know why I didn't think of this in the beginning

"I really don't know why I didn't think of this in the beginning!" said Willy.

"The elevator really is the fastest way to get around the factory." the group entered the glass elevator. Charlie, Natalie and Willy stood in the back and Mike and Mr. Teevee in the front. Mike took a look at all the different buttons leading to the rooms of the factory.

"There can't be this many floors." he said.

"Well how do you know Mr. Smarty Pants?" wondered Willy in a mocking tone.

"Besides, this isn't just an ordinary up and down elevator. Nope! This elevator can go sideways, front ways, slantways and any other ways you could think of!" said Willy. "All you gotta do is push any one of these buttons and you're off!" he pushed a random button and the elevator moved with a jolt. Nobody was prepared for the sudden movement, so they all crashed into the walls. They passed many different rooms that they hadn't seen in the factory. The elevator stopped in front of a female oompa loompa sitting at a desk.

"Oh, The administration offices!" said Willy. "Hello Doris!" he said waving to the woman.

The elevator suddenly moved again causing everyone to run into the wall again. But this time Natalie was pushed into Willy. They both looked up so that their eyes were meeting before both blushing furiously. Once again they stopped but instead of going sideways they shot straight down. The entire way they were bombarded with sights of exploding candy. Oompa Loompas were in every direction shooting the candy out of cannons, causing it to explode into brightly coloured fireworks.

Willy looked over to the kids. Charlie looked like a kid on christmas day. Natalie was no different. Her eyes shone brightly amongst all the different colours. Willy noticed that there was a strange feeling in his stomach. That Teevee kid, on the other hand, didn't look too impressed.

"Why is _everything_ here completely pointless?" he said. Willy was about to object when Charlie said something.

"Candy doesn't have to have a point…That's why its candy." he said. That impressed Willy a lot. He never thought that someone else, let alone a small child, could share his understanding of what candy was.

"I wanna pick a room!" ordered Mike. Willy smiled at him.

"Go ahead." he said, stepping away from the buttons. Mike walked over and stared at the selection. He finally pressed one. Television Room it read.

"Big Surprise!" whispered Natalie to her brother. The elevator came to a halt and everyone stepped out. Willy led them to a white room.

"Quickly, put these on!" said Willy, indicating to the odd-looking goggles near the door.

"The light in here is so strong that it could burn your eyes right out of their sockets!"

Charlie handed Natalie a pair. She put them on the struck a pose.

"How do I look?" she asked, laughing.

"Amazingly Perfect." whispered Willy to himself.

"This, Is the testing room for my latest and greates invention: Television Chocolate. One day it occurred to me. Hey, if television can break up a photograph into millions and millions of tiny little pieces and send them whizzing through the air, and reassemble them on the other end, why can't I do the same thing with chocolate? Why can't I send a real bar of chocolate through television already to be eaten?" Wily said.

"Why Not…it sounds plausible." admitted Natalie.

"Exactly right my dear girl!" beamed Willy.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Mike. Willy looked at him, and he continued, "You don't understand anything about science. First off, there's a difference between waves and particles….duh!" he said as if it were the plainest thing in the world.

"Second, the amount of power it would take to convert energy in matter would be like nine atomic bombs!" he exaggerated using his hands.

"Mumbler!" Willy burst out, finally losing his temper with Mike.

"Seriously, I cannot understand a single word you're saying!" Everyone just stood there in a stunned silence, not sure what to do.

"Okey dokey. I shall now send a bar of chocolate from one end of the room to the other by television!" He smiled enthusiastically. "Bring in the Chocolate!"

Moments later, half a dozen Oompa Loompas appeared carrying an enormous bar of chocolate, heading towards the platform that was located in the centre of the room.

"It's gotta be real big, 'cause you know how TV you can film a regular-sized man and he comes out looking this tall?" he showed with his hands, mimicking a small figure. "Same basic principle!"

Once the Oompa Loompas set the chocolate in place, Willy pressed a large red button. The machineries began to hum and rumble, and the bar was lifted up as a glass tube descended to cover the platform. Then, with a flash of light, it was gone. Everyone gasped in surprise.

"It's gone. It's actually gone!" exclaimed Natalie.

"I told you so!" replied Willy, "As we speak, that bar is whizzing above our heads in a million tiny little pieces." he said pointing above their heads.

"Come over here! Come on!" and swiftly rushed back in front of the TV on the other end of the room. The group excitedly gathered around and watched the screen. For a moment, nothing happened.

"Here it comes…!" announced Willy.

And just like he said, moments later they were all surprised to see the same bar of chocolate appear right inside the program. The only difference was that it was considerably smaller in size.

"Take it!" Willy said, nudging Mike

Mike raised an eyebrow, "It's just a picture on a screen."

"Scaredy cat." He looked over at Natalie. "You take it." he insisted.

"Me?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah...go on." he encouraged. "Just reach out and grab it!"

Natalie hesitated for a moment but decided to give it a try. She slowly extended her hand towards the screen. She felt the bar solidly inside her grip as her fingers broke through the screen. She quickly grabbed it, scared of what could happen if her hand was there a moment longer.

"Go on, try it. It'll be delicious! It's the same bar, it's just gotten a little smaller on the journey, that's all," he reassured her.

Natalie opened the wrapping paper and took a bite of the chocolate.

"It's perfect!" she said, smiling at him.

"So imagine," he said, "You're at home watching television, and all of a sudden, a commercial comes on and a voice will say: "WONKA'S CHOCOLATES ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD! IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE US…TRY ONE YOURSELF!" then you simply reach out…and you take it!" he said.

"But could you send other things if you wanted to? Say breakfast cereals?" asked Mr. Teevee.

"do you know what that breakfast stuff is made of? It's those curly little wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners?"

"But you could send it if u wanted to?" asked Charlie.

"Yeah I guess i could," Willy answered.

"What about people?" asked Mike.

"Well why would I want to send people?" said Willy, confused, "They don't taste very good."

"Don't you _realize_ what you've invented?" exclaimed Mike. "It's a teleporter! The most important invention in the history of the world! And all _you _think about is chocolate!"

"Calm down, Mike! I think Mr.Wonka knows what he's talking about," said Mr.Teavee.

"No he _doesn't_!" Mike snapped back, "He has no idea! You think he's a genius, but he's an idiot!"

"Takes one to know one!" said Natalie. she knew it was immature but someone had to tell the kid.

"Well, _I'm _no idiot!"

Before anyone could stop him, he sprinted towards the machine. He shoved the Oompa Loompas out of his way. Willy timidly raised his hand, "Hey little boy?" Mike didn't even bother to glance at him, "Don't touch my button!"

With one jump, Mike had pressed the red button that set off the machine, and then landed onto the platform. Everyone just watched helplessly as he was raised in the air and closed inside the glass tube. Moments later, there was a bright flash. Everyone looked away. When they looked back…Mike Teevee had vanished into thin air.


	12. Up and Out

"He's gone

"He's gone!" exclaimed Mr.Teavee as he stepped towards the platform, looking for his son.

"Let's go check the television and see what we get, shall we?" suggested Willy. They all raced back over towards the TV set and gathered in front of the screen.

"I sure hope no part of him gets left behind…" Willy said to himself, although everyone could hear. The look on Mr. Teevee's face was priceless.

"What do you _mean_?" asked a horrified Mr. Teevee.

"Well, sometimes only half of the little pieces find their way through." said Willy cautiously. There was a very uncomfortable silence. Willy thought to himself for a moment before turning to face Mr. Teevee.

"If you had to chose only one half of your son, which half would it be?" he asked, trying to _hopefully_ break the tension in the air.

Mr. Teevee just stared at him. "What kind of a question is _that_?"

"No need to snap," Willy said quietly, "It was just a question."

"Try every channel, I'm starting to feel a little anxious." he said to the Oompa Loompa that was sitting there

The little man began scanning through the channels quickly. He stopped when he found a news channel and saw the tiny figure of Mike hopping up and down on the anchorman's desk.

_The most important thing we've learned,  
The most important thing we've learned,  
So far as children are concerned,  
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let  
Them near your television set  
Or better still, just don't install  
The idiotic thing at all._

Never Ever Let Them  
Never Ever Let Them  
Ooh Ooh  
Never Ever Let Them

It rots the senses in the mind!  
It kills Imagination dead!  
It clogs and clutters up the mind!  
It makes a child so dull and blind!  
So Dull So Dull !  
He can no Longer understand  
A fairytale and a fairyland!  
A Fairyland a Fairyland!  
His brain becomes as soft as cheese!  
His powers of thinking rust and freeze!  
He cannot think he only sees!

He only Sees  
He only Sees

Regarding little Mike Teevee,  
We very much regret that we  
Shall simply have to wait and see  
If we can get him back his height.  
But if we can't it serves him right.

The Oompa Loompa anchorman had smashed Mike with his papers, before leaving his chair.

"Ew! Somebody grab him!" said Willy.

Mr. Teevee reached inside the television without hesitation, and pulled out his toy sized son.

"Oh…thank heavens, he's completely unharmed," said Willy, sounding slightly disgusted.

Natalie and Charlie looked at each other both trying not to smile in this slightly weird situation.

"_Unharmed?"_ repeated Mr. Teevee, "What are you _talking _about?"

"Just put me back in the other way!" squeaked the miniature Mike in a barely-audible voice

"There _is_ no other way," replied Willy "its tele_vision,_ not tele_phone_…there's quite a difference." he said.

"And what exactly do you propose to do about it, then?" asked Mr. Teevee, trying desperately not to lose his temper.

Willy thought about it. "I don't know." He paused for a moment, "But you know, young men are extremely stringy. He'll stretch like mad-" he broke off in mid sentence as an idea occurred to him,

"I know! Let's go put him in the taffy puller!" he said happily.

Mr. Teevee couldn't believe what he just heard. "_Taffy puller?!_" Willy's smile dropped.

"Hey!" he snapped, "That was my idea!"

"Boy…is he gonna be skinny. Oh, yes...the taffy puller." he said before bowing down to the Oompa Loompa.

"I want you to take Mr. Teevee and his little boy up to the taffy puller….okay? Stretch him out."

The Oompa Loompa got up and signaled Mr. Teevee to follow him. Mr. Teevee looked at Willy with disgust then followed the little man out of the room. Willy took a deep breath

"On with the tour." He led the way back to the door

"So, how many children are left?" he asked, stopping in front of the door. He turned around to face the rest of the group. However to his surprise, the only two that were was Charlie and Natalie.

"Um… Mr. Wonka. Charlie's the only one left." said Natalie. Willy looked down to Charlie.

"You mean…you mean you're the only one?" he asked. Charlie smiled brightly at him.

"Yes Sir." he beamed. Willy looked around the room.

"What happened to the others?" he asked innocently. Charlie and Natalie looked at each other before smiling. The expression on Willy's face changed from Shocked to excited. A huge smile spread across his face.

"Oh my dear boy! That means you've won!" he said. He grabbed Charlie's hand and shook it.

"Oh Well done, I congratulate you I really do!" he said. "I want to tell you…both of you…that I had a feeling right from the start!" he said. The only thing that Charlie could do was just stand there and smile. Willy then turned to Natalie. He smiled and shook her hand also.

"Now we must get a move on. We can't afford to dilly or dally for that matter because we have an enormous amount of things we need to get done before the day is out." explained Willy as he turned to leave the room with Charlie and Natalie following him.

"But luckily for us we have the Great Glass Elevator to help…" he stopped when he walked right into the closed glass doors. Natalie and Charlie raced over to him to make sure that he was ok. Willy got up and gave them a very embarrassed smile.

"…help speed things along." he giggled shyly. Once the three of them were safely inside the elevator, Willy closed the doors and pushed a button that neither of the Bucket children had seen before.

"Up and Out? What kind of room is that?" wondered Charlie. But Willy just smiled.

"Hold on." he said. The elevator was rising upwards, going faster and faster.

"Oh dear, we're gonna have to pick up speed if we're ever going to break through." said Willy.

"Break through what?" asked Charlie nervously.

"I've been longing to press that button for years!" said Willy happily. "Well here we go…Up and Out!" Natalie looked at him with a genuine look of fear in her eyes.

"You don't seriously mean…" she asked.

"Yeah…I do." replied Willy.

"But… everything's made of glass…we'll shatter into a thousand pieces!" she said. But Willy just giggled. She held onto Charlie as tight as she could. Charlie grabbed her around waist and hung on for dear life as they crashed through the roof of the factory. Natalie closed her eyes as the elevator began to fall. With moments to spare, Willy pressed another button causing them to hover.

Below them they could see the other five children and their parents. Augustus Gloop was completely covered in chocolate and had begun to eat himself much to his mother's dismay. Violet Beauregarde was seen doing numerous gymnastics routines down the stairs, however she was still blue. Veruca Salt and her father wandered towards the gate covered in three weeks worth of garbage. And finally Mike Teevee was nowhere to be seen…unless you looked at him face onwards. Mike had been stretched so much that he was too tall and too thin to bee seen from different angles, Mr. Wonka was right when he said he would be skinny!

"Where do you live?" Willy asked Charlie. The boy looked around at their surroundings until he saw their house.

"In that little house on the hill." he said, pointing to his families' home. Willy pressed a button to that the elevator zoomed off towards the house. Without another word, Willy Wonka and the two Bucket children had crashed through the Bucket's roof and were now inside their living room, much to the surprise of their parents and grandparents.

"I think there's somebody at the door." said Grandma Georgina. The bucket family looked past the dust and debris that was once their roof and saw their 10 year old Son and their 24 year old daughter standing in a glass elevator with a strange looking man who could only be one person…Willy Wonka himself.

"Hi Mum!" smiled Charlie.


	13. Offers and Refusals

Charlie and Natalie got out of the elevator and ran over to their parents

Charlie and Natalie got out of the elevator and ran over to their parents. Willy just stood there awkwardly for a moment. Natalie smiled at him and encouraged him to come inside.

"Mum, Dad, this is Willy Wonka. He gave us a ride home." said Charlie.

"I can see that." said Mrs. Bucket looking at the huge hole in her roof. Willy smiled and shook their hands.

"You must be their pa…" he said, however having trouble with the word 'parents' yet again.

"Parents?" asked Mr. Bucket. Willy nodded.

"Mr. Wonka says Charlie's won something!" said Natalie.

"Not just some something, my dear girl. I'm giving Charlie here my entire factory." said Willy as if it were the most common thing in the world. Everyone was shocked. They didn't know what to think.

"You must be joking!" said Natalie.

"Nope, I honestly have never been more serious in my entire life." said Willy.

"It all started last week during my semi-annual haircut that I found a single silver hair, causing me to have a revelation. My entire life's work, my factory, my beloved Oompa Loompa's. Who would take care of everything when I was gone? It was then I decided that it was time to find a heir." said Willy.

"What are Oompa Loompas?" whispered Mrs. Bucket to her husband. But he just shrugged.

"That's why you sent out the golden tickets." said Charlie. Willy walked over to the table where Charlie's toothpaste cap model was. It was quite a likeness to his factory.

"Exactly my boy!" he smiled as he walked back over to where they were standing.

"So are you ready to leave all this behind and come live at the factory?" Willy asked Charlie.

"Sure, I mean, If my family can come too." said Charlie.

"Of course they can't." said Willy. Everyone looked at him strangely.

"Beg your pardon?" said Charlie.

"Charlie, a chocolatier's imagination needs to run wild and free. Honestly you can't run a chocolate factory with your family hanging over you like an old dead goose…no offence." he said.

"None taken…jerk!" snorted Grandpa George. Willy just looked at him.

"So what you're saying is…that if I leave with you, I'll never be able to see my family ever again?" asked Charlie.

"Yeah…hey consider it a bonus." smiled Willy, stepping towards the elevator.

"Then I'm not going." said Charlie. "Mr. Wonka I wouldn't leave my family for anything. Not for all the chocolate in the world." he said, hugging Natalie's waist. Willy's smiled fell.

"Oh…well that's very unexpected and…weird." he said. He suddenly had a thought.

"But there is other candy besides chocolate!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Wonka." sighed Charlie.

"Oh, ok. Well I guess I'll just go then." Willy said as he stepped into the elevator.

"You sure you wont change your mind?" he asked the little boy.

"Not unless you change yours." said Charlie. Willy looked at the boy once more. He then looked at Natalie. he once smiling face was gone. she looked as if her entire world had come crashing down around her. Willy could see the tears welling up in both hers and Charlie's eyes. he sighed and closed the doors. The elevator rose up and exited through the roof once more and was soon out of sight. the Bucket family just stood there in silence. Natalie wiped her face and pulled away from her brother.

"Excuse me." she said as she ran to her room.

"Things are going to get much better." insisted Grandma Georgina.

And for once, she knew exactly what she was talking about.


	14. The Winner Takes it All

The next day, Charlie and his parents repaired the hole in the roof

The next day, Charlie and his parents repaired the hole in the roof. He also told his parents and grandparents about the factory, but whenever he mentioned Willy Wonka, Natalie went quiet and left the room. Grandpa Joe spent the day out of bed and not once did he feel tired at all. During the next few weeks, things seemed a lot brighter for the Bucket Family. Mr. Bucket got a new job at the toothpaste factory. He now repaired the same machine that had replaced him.

With all the success at the store, Natalie was given a promotion to Assistant Manager, which included a pay rise. With the extra money coming in, the family was able to buy more food and other necessities. They all were happier and closer to each other than ever before. Things had never been better for Charlie and his family. Unfortunately the same could not be said for Willy Wonka.

Ever since that particular day in February, Willy had been miserable. It really didn't make sense to him. Why did Charlie turn the offer down? He never had his family around and he was a world-wide success. Although he probably shouldn't have acted that way. He remembered the look in Natalie's eyes. The poor girl looked heart broken.

"_Wait. Why should I care?" _Willy thought to himself.

"_Why do I care? I mean it's not like I feel anything for her...do I?"_

Things had gotten so bad at the factory that even the candies were turning out terrible and Willy had no idea why. One of the Oompa Loompas was actually a trained psychiatrist so Willy spent most afternoons lying on a couch talking to him.

Willy sat in an armchair in his study. Thinking over the past events of the tour. Softly, the radio was playing in the background. He hardly ever had time for music but today he felt like something different. All of a sudden the tempo changed and Abba's _'The Winner Takes It All' _filled the room.

_I don't wanna talk  
About the things we've gone through  
Though it's hurting me  
Now it's history  
I've played all my cards  
And that's what you've done too  
Nothing more to say  
No more ace to play_

_The winner takes it all  
the loser standing small  
Beside the victory  
That's her destiny_

Natalie was working at the store when Jimmy decided to turn the radio on. When she recognized the song, Natalie immediately stopped what she was doing.

_I was in your arms  
Thinking I belonged there  
I figured it made sense  
Building me a fence  
_

"Great song choice." Natalie mumbled to herself.

_The gods may throw a dice  
their minds as cold as ice  
And someone way down here  
Loses someone dear  
The winner takes it all  
The loser has to fall  
It's simple and it's plain  
Why should I complain._

Natalie could feel the tears streaming down her face. She quickly ran out the back door and sat in the alley on a milk crate.

Charlie sat on his bed doing his homework, listening to the radio. He always found that music helped him relax while studying.

_I don't wanna talk  
If it makes you feel sad  
And I understand  
You've come to shake my hand  
I apologize  
If it makes you feel bad  
Seeing me so tense  
No self-confidence  
But you see  
The winner takes it all  
The winner takes it all..._

He closed his book and walked out onto the little balcony. for what seemed like forever, Charlie stared at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and thought about what might have been.

"I just don't understand it." Willy said the Oompa Loompa that was sribbling down notes.

"Candy has always been the only thing I was ever certain of but now… I'm not certain of anything. I don't know what flavors to try, I'm second guessing myself…and that's nuts. I've always made the candy I felt like and now…" he jumped up off the couch.

"That's just it isn't it. I make whatever candy I felt like but now I feel terrible so the candy is terrible. I should probably go talk to them shouldn't i?" he asked the oompa loompa. The little man just nodded.

"You're very good!"


	15. Meeting Again

Charlie set up a shoe shining stall on Cherry Street

Charlie set up a shoe shining stall on Cherry Street. A man came by with a newspaper and sat down.

"Pity about that chocolate fellow, Wendle, er, Walter..." said Willy, trying to disguise his voice.

"Willy Wonka." corrected Charlie.

"That's the one. Says here his candies aren't selling very well. But then I suppose he's just a rotten egg who deserves It." said Willy. Charlie didn't even take his eyes away from the shoes.

"Yep."

"Oh really? You ever met him?" wondered Willy. Charlie stopped.

"I did. I thought of him as my hero. Willy felt strange as the little boy continued to pour his heart out.

"I thought he was really great at first, but then he didn't turn out so nice. He also has a funny haircut." he finished. Willy pulled the newspaper away.

"I do not!" he insisted.

"Why are you here?" asked Charlie, sounding slightly annoyed that he had bothered to show his face. Willy folded the newspaper under his arm.

"I don't feel so hot. What makes you feel better when you feel terrible?" he asked. Charlie had only one cure for that.

"My family." he said simply.

"Ew!" said Willy, sliding back into his chair. Charlie stood up, he was sick of Willy talking about his family like that.

"What have you got against my family?" he wondered.

"It's not just _your_ family; it's the whole idea of... "Willy stopped when he saw Natalie through the Candy Store window across the street. She was showing a little girl all the different varieties of Wonka candies there. Charlie noticed him and smiled.

"You like her don't you?" he said. Willy snapped out of his trance.

"Huh…What? Who?" he said. Charlie merely rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Natalie." said Charlie.

"No I don't!" protested Willy.

"Well she likes you." said Charlie as he continued shining Willy's shoes. Willy stopped and stared at the little boy.

"She said that?" he asked.

"I'm her brother I can tell these things." shrugged Charlie.

"How?" wondered Willy.

"Well, you make each other laugh, smile, blush need I really continue?" asked Charlie. Willy said nothing. He just sat there deep in thought, so Charlie decided to pull out the big one.

"And she was heart broken when you left." That got Willy's attention.

"Really?" he asked. Charlie nodded.

"So what exactly do you have against families?" he wondered. Willy sighed.

"You know, they're always telling you what to do and what not to do and it's not conducive to a creative atmosphere!" Willy explained.

"Usually they're just trying to protect you, because they love you. Seriously if you don't believe me you should ask." said Charlie. Willy just laughed at that.

"Ask who? My father? Ha! No way. At least not by myself..." he said.

"You want me to come with you?" offered Charlie.

"Hey! Hey, what a great idea! Yeah!" giggled Willy.

"Ok, but on one condition I get to bring someone with us" said Charlie. Willy had a pretty good idea who he was talking about.

"Ok." he said. Charlie turned the corner and went into Farthingham's Candy store. a moment later he was seen pulling Natalie out of the store.

"Charlie I don't see why you had to bring…" said Natalie before she saw Willy standing there.

"Oh…hi." she said quietly.

"Hi." replied Willy in the same tone.

"We're going to see his father and I thought that you would wanna come with us." said Charlie. Natalie smiled.

"I'd love to Charlie, but I cant just leave work during my shift. Jimmy could wring my neck!" said Natalie. Willy smiled.

"Let me handle him." he said. Natalie and Charlie looked at each other confused before following the chocolatier into the store.

"Mr. Wonka, how wonderful it is to se you again sir!" smiled Jimmy.

"Same to you Jimmy. I was wondering if you would be able to do me a favor." said Willy.

"I'll try my best." said Jimmy.

"I was hoping you would let this lovely young woman finish her shift early so she and her brother could accompany me on an errand?" said Willy.

"Of course Mr. Wonka." smiled Jimmy. Natalie raced inside and grabbed her stuff before the three of them left the store.

"Thank you Mr. Wonka." smiled Natalie.

"No problem. Okay, let's get going. and you know what? I brought transporta-" he walked right into the elevator once again. And of course, Natalie and Charlie raced over to his side.

"I really have to watch where I park this thing." Willy said Embarrassed. The three of them piled into the elevator and were on their way.


	16. Wilbur Wonka DDS

When Willy and the two Bucket children arrived at their destination, he thought it was a mistake

When Willy and the two Bucket children arrived at their destination, he thought it was a mistake. Although his father was right in saying that he wouldn't be home when Willy returned. They parked the elevator and got out into the cold, snowy weather. There in the distance, was a single house, standing all alone. Willy froze and turned around and began to make his way back to the elevator. But Natalie had other ideas. She raced after him and blocked his way to the glass machine.

"I cant do it Natalie. I haven't had contact with my f…fa…him for more than 20 years." sighed Willy.

"Mr. Wonka it will be fine. Both Charlie and I are right here with you." Natalie reassured. She held onto his arm and led him back to where Charlie was standing. Both Willy and Natalie felt a jolt of electricity as soon as their ams touched.

The trio made their way up the steps. A gold plaque was placed on the stone wall. _'Dr. Wilbur Wonka, D.D.S'. _Willy shut his eyes tightly as Charlie rang the bell. Momentarily, a man with white hair and glasses appeared at the door.

"Do you have an appointment?" he asked them suspiciously.

"I'm afraid not sir." said Natalie.

"But he's long overdue." said Charlie indicating to Willy, who by then had put on his weird-looking glasses.

"Very Well, follow me." said Dr. Wonka. They followed him into the dental surgery.

"Have a seat." Dr. Wonka said to Willy. Willy said nothing, but did as he was told. Both Charlie and Natalie looked around the room. All the walls were covered in picture frames. Each one containing a photo or newspaper clipping about Willy over the years.

"Heavens, I haven't seen bicuspids like these since…" he faltered for a moment.

"…Willy?" he asked, his voice was shaking as he spoke. Both Nat and Charlie looked up from whatever they were reading. Willy sat up in the chair.

"Hi Dad." he said to his father. Wilbur smiled.

"All these years…and you haven't flossed." he said. Willy shook his head.

"Not once." smiled Willy. Wilbur chuckled. After an awkward moment or so, the two Wonka men embraced for the first time in years.

"Now Willy, Care to introduce me to your friends?" asked Wilbur. That struck Willy. _Friends_. Well, I guess he was right. After everything that happened, I guess they were friends.

"Oh, um this is Charlie Bucket and his sister Natalie." introduced Willy. Wilbur shook both their hands.

"A pleasure to meet the both of you." smiled Wilbur. After that Wilbur invited them to stay for a cup of tea.

"Willy, would you help me in the kitchen please?" asked Wilbur. Willy nodded and joined his father in the kitchen.

"So how did you meet them?" Wilbur asked his son.

"Charlie was one of the children who visited my factory. In fact, he was the child who won the prize." explained Willy.

"Really? Well he must be thrilled." smiled Wilbur. Willy shook his head.

"Not really. I sort of said that his family wouldn't be allowed to live in the factory with him." said Willy softly.

"Why on earth did you say that!?" asked his father. Willy sighed.

"I don't know! After everything that happened between well…you know. And Charlie is so close to his family especially…especially Natalie." said Willy. He blushed when he said her name.

"By dear boy, you need repeat your offer to them. But this time allow his family to join him. Charlie would be mad not to take up the offer then. And it seems that you may feel something for his sister." suggested Wilbur. Willy looked at his father.

"I don't know what I feel. I don't get it dad." said Willy. Wilbur though about it.

"Do you think she's pretty?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you get a funny feeling when you are near her?"

"How did…yeah!" Wilbur smiled.

"It appears you may have a crush. I felt the same thing when I first met your mother." he said.

"Well what do I do?" asked Willy.

"Just be yourself. Now come along, they must be thirsty by now!" laughed Wilbur. Willy smiled as he helped his father with the tray of teacups.


	17. What Happens Now?

"Well it was wonderful to have you here

"Well it was wonderful to have you here." smiled Wilbur as the three left.

"Thank you for visiting me Willy. Make sure it's not left too long next time." Willy smiled and nodded in agreement. Wilbur then whispered something to him.

"Don't forget what we spoke about. Tell her how you feel." Willy nodded.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Sir." said Charlie. Wilbur smiled and got down to Charlie's level.

"Same here Charlie. I hope you and your sister will visit soon. You all are welcome any time." he said.

"Absolutely sir." said Nat. The three waved goodbye and left in the elevator.

This time however they decided to park outside the house. Willy thought he already had a bad reputation with The Bucket family; he didn't want to make it worse.

"I was hoping that I would be able to speak to your family." said Willy. Charlie nodded and they headed towards the door.

"Don't worry Mr. Wonka, it will be fine." said Natalie.

"Please, call me Willy. Mr. Wonka sounds too old!" he said. Natalie smiled and nodded as they made their way inside.

"Natalie what are you doing home so early?" asked Mrs. Bucket.

"We had some urgent business to take care of." explained Charlie as both he and Willy were now standing in the doorway.

"What's he doing here?" snorted Grandpa George.

"Grandpa, be nice. Mr. Wonka is here to talk to us." said Nat.

"I'm…I'm sorry for what I said to you the other day." said Willy.

"I haven't really been around people for a very long time but that was no excuse for the way I acted. You see until today, I actually had some problems with my own family, which caused me to have a huge problem with families in general." he said.

Looking at everyone's faces he could tell that he was rambling.

"The main reason why i'm here is not only to apologize, but I would like to repeat my offer to you all. I would still like Charlie to inherit the factory and everything along with it. Only this time, you're all invited too." said Willy.

"Kids can we have a moment to talk with Mr. Wonka?" asked Mr. Bucket.

"Sure. I'm going to for a walk." said Charlie, walking out the door.

"I'll be on the balcony." said Natalie, as she raced up the stairs.

Half an hour later Charlie returned and sat down with his family. His parents told him that they talked it over and have decided to accept Willy's offer. The entire house would be moved into the factory within the week.

Willy had managed to get to know the family and was talking to Grandpa Joe about the days when he worked at the factory and he was invited to stay for dinner. Mr. Bucket told Willy to try some of Natalie's creations, but didn't tell him who created them.

"Charlie can you go and check on your sister please." asked Mrs. Bucket.

"I'll go if you want." offered Willy.

"Well thank you Mr. Wonka." smiled Mr. Bucket. Willy walked up the stairs to Natalie and Charlie's 'bedroom'. On one side he saw a small bed. Above it the wall was covered with pictured of his factory and wrappers from the candy bars that he made. The model factory sat beside the bed.

On the other side there was another small bed. Beside it there was a basket full of books. The walls were also covered with candy bar wrappers and also photos. There were old photos of what was possibly their grandparents, Mrs. and Mrs. Bucket with two small children.

Willy then looked out into the hole in the wall and saw Natalie sitting out there.

"Can I join you?" he asked her quietly. She smiled and nodded to a spot next to her. Willy sat down and looked at the view. they were staring out at his factory.

"Wow, great view." he said.

"Yeah it is, isn't it" said Natalie.

"I was talking with your family. They agreed to come live in the factory with Me. We're gonna move your entire house into the chocolate room." said Willy.

"That's great." said Nat.

"They also let me try these little chocolate marshmallow things downstairs." he said. Natalie looked at him with a mixture of shock and amazement.

"And… What did you think?" she asked.

"They were amazing!" beamed Willy. "Who made them?" Natalie smiled.

"Guilty as charged." she whispered. Willy was surprised.

"You did?" he asked. Natalie just nodded.

"Well I've never tasted anything like it." smiled Willy.

"Are you sure you wont mind having us around?" asked Natalie. Willy shook his head.

"No. I think it will be great having you around." he said softly. They both blushed.

"Natalie…I um…I need to tell you something." stammered Willy. Natalie looked him in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"I um, I… what i'm trying to say is…" he stuttered for a moment then looked down. Natalie placed her hand on his, once again causing a sudden jolt or electricity through both of them. that gave Willy the extra courage he needed.

"What i'm trying to say is that I like you. I mean _really_ like you. I know we haven't known each other for a long time but I have never felt like this ever before. And I didn't know if you felt the same so I just needed to tell you…"

"I feel the same." said Natalie suddenly. Willy stopped rambling and looked up in amazement.

"You…you do?" he asked.

"Yeah." replied Natalie. They both began to blush furiously.

"So ah, what now?" he asked nervously. Natalie smiled as they both leaned in towards each other slowly. Before they knew it, their lips met. This surprised both of them, however, neither of them attempted to pull away from the other. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer to him. After a while they, regrettably, broke apart.

"I was thinking. Do you think you could teach me how to make those chocolate marshmallows?" joked Willy. Natalie laughed.

"Well I guess I could." she smiled. they both leaned in to kiss again when Mrs. Bucket called out for them, telling them dinner was ready.

"Um, we probably should get down there." said Natalie. Willy nodded. They both went downstairs and joined the family for dinner.

At dinner, Willy sat at the end of the table in between Charlie and Natalie. Every now and then when no one else was looking, they world occasionally glance at each other. He even held her hand underneath the table at one point, which shocked even him. He was never good with contact but he liked it.

During the meal, Grandma Georgina turned to Willy.

"You smell like peanuts. I love peanuts." she said.

"Well thank you. You smell like…old people and soap…I like it." sod Willy. This made everyone laugh.

Even though it was only the beginning and that they all had a busy week ahead, Willy could tell that life was going to become a little more sweeter.

_**AN: Hey All: hope your all enjoying the Story. Just a heads up it's not the end!! However it is the end of where the story took place. So from now on the plot will be my own. If any of you have any ideas at all about what way you want the story to go in …just drop me a line.**_


	18. Welcome Home

As promised, Willy had the Bucket's house moved into the factory within the week

**AN: hey everyone I am so sorry I haven't updated sooner but I have been cursed with Writers Block. don't worry Captain Tash and I are going to throw it off a cliff in Italy! here's the next part.**

**THANKYOU TO MY REVIEWERS **

**KeLpIeenoch, Superdani, Snuffles-sweetie, Nightcrawlerlover, smallncrazy91, Captain Tash and everyone else..i love you all**

**I need more reviews please so I have ideas on what you, my beautiful readers, want to happen next. I decided to give Mr. and Mrs. Bucket a name, so I just named them on who played them lol. I sadly own nothing except Natalie and the plot from this chapter onwards.. REVIEW AND ENJOY!**

As promised, Willy had the Bucket's house moved into the factory within the week. They decided to use one of the extremely large Wonka delivery trucks to transport the house, while Willy took the grandparents in the glass elevator and Charlie, Natalie and their parents walked to the factory. The four Buckets' arrived at the factory gates just as the elevator was landing inside them. Then the nine of them walked up the front steps and entered the factory.

"Just drop your coats anywhere." said Willy upon entering the hallway.

Charlie and Natalie looked at each other.

"A Sense of Déjà vu perhaps?" laughed Natalie. Charlie nodded then raced to catch up with the group. The family walked along the hall until they reached a very small door.

"Welcome home." smiled Willy as he pushed open the doors to reveal the wonders of the chocolate room.

Everyone just stood there for a moment, soaking in the atmosphere. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket were completely speechless, as were the grandparents. They surveyed the room slowly. Eyes were darting from the beautiful green landscape, to the waterfall and the Chocolate River. And positioned right in the centre of everything…was their house.

Willy led them around the chocolate room. He told them about the importance of the waterfall and how everything is edible…but somehow left out the cannibalism part, they were adults so they would understand.

Just like the first time he visited the factory, Charlie spotted the Oompa Loompas. He walked up to Willy and pointed behind them.

"Right of course!" said Willy, slapping his hand to his head.

"Over there you will find my Oompa Loompas, who work here in the factory." Willy said pointing over the waterfall. The Buckets' looked shocked at the little people who surrounded them but were not at all scared or intimidated. Willy made a funny noise and called a worker over to them.

"You remember Charlie and Natalie don't you?" he asked it. The little man nodded and bowed to the two bucket children, who both graciously returned the gesture.

"This is their family. They are going to be living here in the factory from now on." introduced Willy. The Oompa Loompa turned to the Buckets' and once again bowed. After a moment the little person resumed his work.

"If there is anything you need, anything at all, just ask the Oompa Loompas or myself." said Willy, before leading them down by the river bank.

"When ever you want to, feel free to look around the factory. i'm sure Charlie and Natalie would love to show you around." said Willy.

"Mr. Wonka, how can we ever thank you for all your hospitality?" wondered Mr. Bucket.

"Well, Mr. Bucket, you can call me Willy. There really is no need for formalities anymore" joked Willy. Mr. Bucket smiled.

"Well in that case call me Noah." he said shaking his hand. Willy smiled and turned to Mrs. Bucket.

"Helena." she said shaking Willy's hand. Once they were all properly re-introduced, the family made their way over to the house. Everything was as it was before. They all went inside but Willy stopped Natalie outside the door.

"I was talking to your family and we came up with an idea." he said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Well, seeing as there was barely enough room for all of you in that tiny house before, I was wondering if you would like to take one of the guest rooms in the factory. You don't have to, of course, I was just thinking if you wanted more space to yourself. But if you want to still share with Charlie I understand." Willy said. Natalie smiled.

"I'd love to, thank you." she said. They made their way inside to find that everyone was already settled.

"I'm just gonna take my stuff up to my new room." said Natalie. She raced upstairs and grabbed her photos, her books, and her other possessions, put them into a box and went back downstairs.

"Make sure you two are back by dinner. I think a celebratory meal is in order." said Helena.

"Ok Mum." said Natalie as she and Willy took the elevator to her room. When they stopped, they reached a floor that Natalie had never seen before.

"Ok, this is your room right here." said Willy, walking up to a huge brown double-door.

"What's the other room down there?" asked Nat, pointing to the room to the far left.

"Oh, that's, uh, my room." said Willy. Natalie nodded. Willy opened the doors and Nat could not believe her eyes.

The room was a soft brown colour with white finishes on the doors and windows. A huge four-poster bed was situated in the centre of the room, with surrounding shelves and even a book case. The window had a seat that was covered with all kinds of pillows and cushions, just perfect for Natalie to do her reading. On the other side of the room there was a door which led to the bathroom.

"Do you like it?" asked Willy nervously.

"It's perfect." said Natalie. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly in a hug. Willy just smiled and held her close to him. He lifted her face to they were looking eye-to-eye and gently captured her lips in a kiss. Although the kiss was gentle and loving, a surge of electricity shot through them both the moment their lips met. They pulled apart regretfully.

"I'll leave you to unpack." said Willy as he turned towards the door.

"Willy?" Natalie shouted after him. He turned and looked at her.

"Thank you…for everything" she said. He smiled and bowed slightly as he left the room. Natalie sighed and fell back onto her bed. She could tell that life was going to get better…for everyone.


	19. Surrealism

Natalie had unpacked her clothes, her books and everything else she owned and, at last, her new room finally felt like hers

Natalie had unpacked her clothes, her books and everything else she owned and, at last, her new room finally felt like hers. She was just taping a photograph of her and Charlie when there was a knock at her door. She walked over to the door to find Charlie standing outside.

"Hey Nat, everyone's at the house for dinner, I thought I'd come up and get you." said Charlie.

"Ok, just let me get changed and we can go. Come on in." said Nat as she ushered her little brother inside the huge doors. The two walked inside and Charlie surveyed the room.

"Nice room." he said. He moved a box off the bed and sat down as Nat went to get changed.

"I know. I can't believe that Willy has gone to all this trouble for us." Nat yelled from the bathroom. "How come you didn't want a room?"

"Willy offered me one but I just wanted to stay with mum and dad you know." explained Charlie. Natalie came out of the bathroom wearing jeans and a blue shirt. She walked over to the bed and laid down next to her brother.

"It's pretty surreal isn't it…all of this I mean. We dream about something like this for so long and then all of a sudden…" said Natalie.

"Yeah I know. So what's going on between you two?" asked Charlie. Natalie sat up and looked at her brother. He might have only been 10, but Natalie knew that Charlie was way beyond his years.

"I don't know. We're just gonna have to wait and see aren't we?" she said.

"You do like him…don't you?" Charlie asked mischievously. Natalie smiled at him and ruffled his hair before getting off the bed.

"Come on, we don't wanna keep everyone waiting now do we?" Nat said, holding out her hand. Charlie took his sisters hand and the two walked out of the room and took the elevator down to the chocolate room.

They arrived at the house to find everyone sitting at the table waiting for them. Noah and Willy were talking and Helena was in the kitchen bringing a roast chicken out of the oven.

"There you are you two." said Grandpa Joe as he finished setting the table for nine.

"Yeah sorry about that, I needed to get changed first." said Natalie, sitting down between Charlie and Willy.

"That's quite alright dear." smiled Helena. She placed the Chicken on the table and they all began to eat.

"While you were getting unpacked, Charlie and Willy showed us around some of the factory." said Noah. "This truly is a remarkable place, Will, you should be very proud." Willy smiled.

"I am. It took me years to achieve my dream, and i'm so glad that Charlie here can help continue It." he said.

The rest of the evening was spent discussing the wondrous factory that had now become apart of each of their lives. Charlie had retired to bed at about 11, so Willy and Natalie decided it was time for them to leave also. They stepped inside the elevator and it took off towards their destination.

"Um Natalie?" asked Willy quietly as they passed through the exploding candy. Natalie looked up at him. Willy was amazed as once again, her eyes shone brightly with the reflection of the fireworks, same as it did the day he met her.

"Yes Willy?" she asked.

"I um…I was kinda…I what I mean is…" he took a deep breath.

"Iwaswonderingifyouwouldliketohavelunchwithmetomorrow" he mumbled. Natalie smiled.

"You know you really shouldn't mumble…Its really starting to bum me out." Natalie said, quoting Willy. He just smiled and sighed. They both got out. Willy turned left towards his room and Natalie turned to her right, but stopped.

"Yes." she said. Willy spun around on his feet quickly and faced her.

"I'd loved to have lunch with you tomorrow." Nat laughed before disappearing behind her door. Willy walked to his room, and fell back onto his bed with a huge smile on his face.


	20. Great start to the day

Natalie woke up the next morning after an amazing night's sleep

Natalie woke up the next morning after an amazing night's sleep. It had been ages since she had slept in a very comfortable bed. She stretched her arms and walked over to her window to draw her curtains. Snow had covered every inch of the ground below and on her window pane, the scene was beautiful. Suddenly Natalie remembered. Today she was supposed to be having lunch with Willy. Natalie got dressed and raced out the door to have breakfast with her family.

Upon rushing out the door she ran straight into Willy. Natalie felt her feet give way but she never felt herself hit the ground. She looked up to find that Willy had caught her.

"Wow, great reflexes. Thank you" she said. Willy smiled as his cheeks turned a sudden tinge of red. He helped her back onto her feet.

"No problem." he said.

"Well seeing as you are here Mr. Wonka, Care to escort me to breakfast?" asked Natalie with a smile.

"It would be an absolute pleasure, Miss Bucket." laughed Willy. They linked arms and walked to the elevator. Once inside, Nat reached on to the tips of her toes and pressed a button saying 'Chocolate Room'. No sooner had she done that. The Elevator moved so suddenly, that once again, Natalie had crashed into Willy. Both were blushing furiously at this stage.

"Great start to the morning. I'm never gonna get used to this thing!" said Nat.

"Sure you will, it took me forever to get used to the sudden movement, and I built the thing! As for the start to the morning, well you're just lucky that I was there." said Willy. Natalie laughed.

"So, we're still on for lunch today?" asked Natalie. Her voice was quiet yet hopeful. Willy looked at her. He was glad that she didn't forget.

"Of course." he smiled. "Me and Charlie have some things to do but I'll make sure that we're done by then."

"Great." smiled Nat. The elevator stopped and the two got out and walked to the Bucket's humble home.

"Morning you two." smiled Charlie. He was in the kitchen helping his mother with breakfast. Noah sat at the table reading the paper, grandmas' Georgina and Josephine were at the table knitting and Grandpas Joe and George were sitting at the table talking.

"Morning." said Nat and Willy before taking a seat. Helena came over with a plate of pancakes.

"Wow this looks great mum." said Nat. Everyone tucked into the delicious meal.

"Charlie if it's alright by you, I was hoping you would join me in the inventing room today?" asked Willy.

"Sure! Can I mum, Dad?" asked Charlie hopefully.

"Of course." said Noah, taking a sip of his coffee. After breakfast Willy and Charlie made their way to the inventing room. Back at the house Natalie was helping her mother clean up.

"Mum can I talk to you?" Nat asked, as she leaned against the sink.

"Of course my darling." said Helena.

"Willy asked me to lunch today." Natalie said. Helena turned and faced her daughter.

"Darling that's wonderful. I noticed something between you two." she said.

"Really?" wondered Natalie. Helena nodded.

"Yeah, there's a certain spark, if you will, between you. And the way you look at each other, you can tell it in your eyes that there's something there." sighed Helena happily.

"Is that the way it was when you met Dad?" asked Nat. Helena smiled and nodded. the two stayed and talked for a while until it was time for Natalie to go and get ready.


	21. First Date Part 1

Natalie couldn't choose what to wear

Natalie couldn't choose what to wear. She had spent almost 20 minutes looking through her wardrobe for something to wear. In the midst of her frantic search, Natalie had managed to get her clothes from one side of the room to the other. There were clothes on her bed, on the floor and even on her window seat, although she wasn't sure how they managed to end up there.

After much consideration, Nat found a nice pale blue top hiding in the back of her closet. She searched the floor until she found a nice pair of jeans. As soon as she was dressed she looked around her room. She usually wasn't this messy, actually she wasn't messy at all but she was in such a rush to get ready she wasn't really thinking. Natalie straightened her hair and tied a blue ribbon in it. At 12:00 there was a knock at her door. She opened it to see Willy standing there.

"Hey, ready to go?" he asked. Natalie nodded happily as they entered the elevator.

"So, where are we going exactly?" she asked him. Willy smiled mysteriously.

"Now what have I previously said about surprises?" he asked half joking half serious. Natalie pouted but Willy just laughed at her. After a few moments the elevator stopped inside the chocolate room.

"Come on." Willy said as he held out his hand for her. Nat took it and they walked through the room together, hand-in-hand.

They made their way past the house, over the bridge, past the waterfall when they stopped. Willy pulled a scarf out of his pocket.

"Here put this on." he said, wrapping the scarf around Natalie's eyes. He then led her to a secluded spot. After a moment they stopped once again.

"Ok, you can take it off now." he instructed. Natalie pulled off her blindfold and gasped. There in front of them, was a picnic blanket set for two by the bank of the river.

"Willy this…" Nat couldn't finish her sentence. She was completely speechless as to how amazing the setting was.

"I take it that you like it?" Willy laughed.

"I do! It's amazing. I…I can't believe you went to all this trouble. You really shouldn't have." Natalie said dreamily.

"Trouble? Honestly it was no trouble at all." Willy insisted. "And besides, I wanted to." he said sincerely.

They sat down on the blanket beside the river. Willy had prepared some sandwiches and some other yummy treats for them.

"I got an idea. Why don't you tell me some more about yourself?" suggested Willy as he stretched out on the blanket with his sandwich.

"Um, like what?" wondered Natalie.

"I don't know…anything." said Willy simply.

"Um OK… My name is Natalie Kathleen Bucket. I'm 24 years old. I am madly in love with chocolate. I have a job which I love. My family means everything to me. My brother is my best friend. I used to love going to the movies but unfortunately haven't gone in ages. I've always wanted to travel the world but never got the chance and my wildest dreams have just come true." said Natalie as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Ok now your turn." Nat said. Willy took a moment to think about what he could say.

"I don't know what to say." said Willy.

"Anything. The point is to get to know each other better remember so just tell me anything you want to." said Nat.

"I'm Willy Wonka, world famous chocolatier." he started. Nat laughed at this part.

(AN: I just made up an age lol)

"I'm 36 years old. Left home when I was 12. I've seen many wonders of the world. My obsession is chocolate and candy. Didn't have contact with my father for 24 years until 2 weeks ago and I have the most wonderful family living in my factory, who I can't wait to get to know better." he finished with a smile.

**AN: Hey there finally I get to update! I have had the worst writers block imaginable! Tell me what you think of part one of Willy and Natalie's First date! If anyone has any suggestions about what happens next…drop me a line!...i need help.**


	22. Frist Date Part 2

After their picnic, Willy and Natalie walked around the chocolate room for a while

**AN: hey all. sorry about not updating sooner, I've been busy and have still been cursed with writers block lol. Its been hard coming up with ideas for this story. I started the first couple of chapters back in 2005 then forgot about it until I joined Fan Fic. net . Also I wanna thank all my reviewers sp far. I love u all… especially Captain Tash who helped me immensely with this chapter. Remember any ideas/suggestions…contact me...ENJOY**

**ML17**

After their picnic, Willy and Natalie walked around the chocolate room for a while.

"I still can't believe this place." sighed Natalie. "For years I imagined what went on inside these walls, but nothing as unbelievable as this." Willy smiled and took her hand in his. They continued their walk when Willy suddenly stopped. Nat turned to face him.

"Willy? What's wrong?" she asked. She hoped he wasn't having another one of his flashbacks. He snapped out of it almost as quick.

"nothing." Willy said. He signaled an Oompa Loompa over to them. he got down to the little man's height and whispered something in his ear. Then, after bowing, the little man was off on his way.

"I just had a thought. I have to do something real quick but I was kinda hoping that you would be able to do something for me. I had an idea the other day about a new flavor candy. I have some prototypes in the inventing room if you want to check them out. I promise I'll only be gone a little while. Half an hour tops." Willy said.

Natalie was a little disappointed that he was leaving during their date, but seeing as it was only for half an hour she decided to go along with it.

"Ok." she smiled. Willy grinned back.

"Great. I'll meet you there in half and hour." he gave her hand a small kiss and walked in the opposite direction. Natalie sighed to herself before making her way to the boat.

Willy's new invention was fantastic! Thin layers of Milk, Dark and White chocolate with a rich, gooey caramel centre. After doing as much evaluating as possible, Natalie patiently waited for Willy's return. After about twenty five minutes, Willy appeared.

"Ready?" he asked. Natalie was confused.

"For what?" she asked. But Willy only smiled and placed his left hand across her eyes to cover them and the other on the small of her back. she tried to pry his hands away but he refused to move them. After realizing she couldn't win, she gave up and just went with the flow.

"This seems strangely familiar." joked Natalie. Willy laughed and

guided her out of the factory and into a small car that was waiting for them by the gates. They drove for just a few minutes and guided her out carefully.

"Ok carefully sit down." Willy instructed. Natalie pulled a face of confusion and amusement but did as she was told.

Willy finally took his hand off her eyes. Natalie blinked and looked at her surroundings and noticed a big screen

"A movie theatre?" she wondered as Willy sat down next to her, a big bucket of popcorn in his hands.

"You said haven't seen one in a while so I thought I should take you to one." Willy smiled.

"Thank you Willy! What movie is this?"

"Your Welcome. It's called "The Warning". He said eating some popcorn before offering her some.

"Its a scary movie?!" wondered Nat.

"Yes. And why? Because it is fun."

Natalie gazed over at Willy and shook her head with a smile on her face. The lights dimmed and the two settled down to watch the movie.


	23. The Warning

A/N: Hey there People

**A/N: Hey there People!**

**Just so you know the movie "The Warning" and all characters, scenes, ideas and anything else to do with it belongs to our Darling Captain Tash,…SO DON'T STEAL IT… I actually have her permission so there!**

The screen turned black as haunting and eerie music filled the cinema. The opening credits started to roll and the name of the movie crept onto the screen "The Warning"

Natalie shuddered. The music was already sending chills down her spine.

Natalie and Willy were so deep into the movie neither of them realized what was going on around them.

On the screen, a girl, Alice, was walking into her house after dark. The music was loud making Natalie shudder. She grabbed Willy's hand and squeezed it hard.

Alice entered the house to find an unnatural darkness. After turning the light on she turned around to find her father with a distorted look on his face and a bat to beat her with. Natalie screeched and buried her head deep into Willy's chest. She didn't want to see what

was going to happen to Alice, although she had a pretty good idea.

Alice had screamed the same time Natalie did.

Willy chuckled silently to himself and wrapped his arm around Natalie shielding her eyes.

Natalie slowly turned her head to look up at the screen to find Alice sneaking into the kitchen with a large flashlight in her hand. Natalie found herself squeezing Willy's hand once again.

Alice had found something in the drawers and was examining it thoroughly. Natalie shifted her body so that she was sitting father back in the chair to be farther away from the scene on the screen.

Natalie had also moved her body close to Willy's. It was as if she felt safer being close to him. This movie was beginning to creep her out. But there was nothing she could do about it.

Alice had dropped her flashlight and it hit the ground with a thud. The camera jumped to the door Alice had come in. Her father was standing in the doorway with a disheveled look on his face.

Natalie shrieked, closed her eyes and leaned towards Willy once again. This was a terrifying movie. Natalie couldn't take it much longer. Who knew how much more thrilling it would get?

Alice had dashed out of the house with her father's notebook in hand. Her hand was banging on the front door of her friend Jess' house. The door was opening and Alice was panting and stuttering. Natalie was breathing heavily and her whole body was shaking. She had the goose bumps. She was so horrified that it felt as if she was there in the movie. She was just thankful that Willy was there to protect her.

Natalie watched Alice enter Jess' house and show her the notebook. Jess dropped it in shock. There was something in that notebook that was not meant to be. Natalie turned to Willy who was too into the movie.

"Alice. How can he do this?"

"He can do whatever he wants. I know one person who can help."


	24. Heartbeats by Firelight

As soon as the credits began to roll and the lights were up Natalie moved her head from Willy's side and breathed a sigh of relief

As soon as the credits began to roll and the lights were up Natalie moved her head from Willy's side and breathed a sigh of relief. Willy's arm was still tightly wrapped around her and her hand in his. She looked up and her eyes met his. Nat felt her cheeks warm up and smiled.

"Come on, we should get home." said Willy. Natalie nodded and slipped out from under his protective grip and stood up, brushing the popcorn off her clothes. She remembered several scenes from the movie when she or Willy jumped and spilled the popcorn.

Willy got up and took her hand in his as they exited the theatre and headed for the car.

"Well that was one of the scariest movies I have ever seen." admitted Willy.

"Yeah that director, Natasha someone, she really knew what she was doing." agreed Natalie as they made their way outside. Newly fallen snow that covered the roads and sidewalks was glowing beautifully from the streetlamps.

"Willy, it's such a beautiful night, why don't we walk home?" suggested Natalie.

"What a great idea." smiled Willy. They made their way over to the car and Willy explained that they were going to walk home. The driver nodded and wished the couple goodnight and drove away.

They walked arm in arm down the streets just talking. They both felt so comfortable with each other. It seemed as though they had known each other for years.

After a peaceful walk they had arrived back at the factory. As they entered the chocolate room, they noticed that all the lights were off in the house, so they quietly made their way to the glass elevator that was waiting for them by the banks of the river.

Once again, the elevator took off with a start but for once, Natalie didn't bump into anything.

"Hey, i'm getting pretty good at this." she smiled.

"Told you so!" Willy said. Although, he really didn't mind him having to catch her every now and then.

When they arrived at their floor Willy bowed slightly and gestured for Natalie to exit first. She smiled and stepped out of the elevator but waited for Willy just outside the doors with her arm waiting. He gladly took it and escorted her to her room.

"Willy thank you for tonight." Natalie said quietly.

"You're most welcome my dear." Willy smiled.

"I really had a great time. It was one of the best days I've had in a long time." Nat said.

"Me too. But what do you mean _one_?" wondered Willy, pretending to be offended. Natalie shook her head and laughed as she stood on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well another was the day we met, but I believe that this pretty much neck and neck with that." she said with a smile. Willy smiled back at her and leaned in close to her face.

"I'm glad." he whispered before capturing her lips in a kiss. After a few blissful moments they broke apart. They both said goodnight before heading towards their own rooms.

Nat tossed and turned in her sleep as ghastly visions filled her dreams.

Her eyes opened in an instant. Beads of sweat were running down her face. She tried to regain a steady heartbeat but it was near impossible. Thank god it was just a dream. It has seemed too real.

Despite what her brain was telling her, Natalie got out of bed. She looked around her room for her dressing gown and quickly wrapped it around herself to fight the cold night air. Quietly exiting her room, she stepped into the elevator and looked carefully at the array of buttons. Finally making her decision she pressed the one that read '_lounge'_. The doors closed and took her to her desired destination.

Once the elevator had stopped, Nat got out and surveyed her surroundings. The fireplace was going, making the room shimmer in the light. The lounge was much warmer than the rest of the factory so Natalie decided to take her dressing gown off. She was so mesmerized by the flames dancing around in front of her that she almost didn't notice the shadow of someone lying on the couch. A small smile crept to her lips.

Natalie made her way to the couch. As she moved the floorboards creaked below her feet and the shadowed figure moved and turned their head to face her.

"Couldn't sleep?" Willy wondered. Natalie shook her head.

"You neither, huh?" she said. Willy subtly shook his head.

She walked over to him and sat on the arm of the couch. Willy used this time to get a good look at her. He thought she looked beautiful in her purple and white striped pajama pants and t-shirt. He shifted his body along the couch so that there was enough room for the two of them. Nat smiled and took a seat with Willy. He wrapped his arm around her as she rested her head on his chest. He placed a gentle kiss on her head. The two lay there silently in each other's arms, listening to nothing but each other's heart beats.

Willy looked down at Natalie only to realize that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled to himself before closing his eyes. Within no time they were both fast asleep.


	25. A Surprise for Natalie

Charlie had woken up bright and early the next morning and went up to the living quarters

Charlie had woken up bright and early the next morning and went up to the living quarters. He knew his sister loved to sleep in when she could so he knocked on Willy's door first.

"Willy? Are you there?" asked Charlie through the door. He got no reply.

"Willy, it's me, Charlie." he said. Still no answer. Charlie just shrugged it off.

"_He's probably either at the house already" _Charlie thought to himself. So he walked down the hall and tried Natalie's room. He bedroom door was opened a tiny bit, so Charlie looked through the crack.

"Nat? Are you up yet?" wondered Charlie. Strangely, he got no answer. He opened the door further and saw that Natalie wasn't in her room. He decided to take the elevator and go look for them.

Natalie slowly opened her eyes and tried to remember what happened last night. She then remembered having a nightmare and going down to the lounge and found Willy. They must have fallen asleep and forgotten to go back to bed. Once her eyes were more focused she saw the sleeping form of Willy, lying peacefully next to her. Nat smiled and rested her head against his chest once more and went back to sleep.

Charlie could hear voices coming from inside the house, so that was a good sign. His mind started to ease as he approached the door. He looked inside but could see no sign of the two he was looking for.

"Hey has anyone seen Willy and Natalie?" Charlie asked.

"No dear, I haven't seen them since yesterday." said Helena as she was starting to prepare breakfast. Charlie looked at the rest of his family, who were all shaking their heads.

"Ok, ill be back." said Charlie as he left the tiny house again. Once in the elevator again, Charlie tried to think of where they could be. He had flown past a fair few rooms but still hadn't found them. Charlie gazed over the buttons until his eyes landed on an unfamiliar one. he pressed it and was on his way.

Charlie had never been to the lounge before. he recalled Willy telling him about it and letting him know that he was most welcome there, but had never had the chance to visit it yet.

The room was quite a sight. There was a huge open fire place and a couple of sofa's scattered around the room. Charlie's eyes fell upon one of the couches. He saw Natalie and Willy asleep in each others arms. Charlie smiled and quietly left the room. He didn't want to disturb them and figured he would see them later of anyway. Quietly closing the door behind him, Charlie returned to the glass elevator and headed for the chocolate room.

It wasn't until later that morning that Willy and Natalie woke up again. Willy smiled and kissed Natalie's forehead before she got up. they walked together to the elevator that was waiting for them outside the door. Once inside Willy pushed a button and they were off. However the balance that Natalie had shown the previous night had since not returned and she fell right into Willy's side.

"I thought you were getting better at this?" Willy teased.

"I am, i'm just half asleep, that's all." said Nat. Willy laughed at her and Natalie, being the mature woman that she was, stuck her tongue out at him, before laughing to herself quietly. When they reached the floor Natalie tried to leave but Willy stopped her.

"How do I know that when I let you go, you won't fall over again?" he mocked.

""I guess you don't." said Nat. she tried again to move but Willy wouldn't let go.

"Oh come on, sweetie." Nat pleaded. But he only smiled at her. Nat smiled slyly and turned around to face him. She looked deep into his eyes before kissing him. Immediately Willy's grip loosened as he deepened the kiss. But once she was free, Natalie pulled away from him and exited the elevator. Willy rolled his eyes and laughed to himself quietly before walking to his room, leaving Natalie to get dressed.

"Nice to see you both this morning." said Noah as Willy and Natalie entered the house.

"Sorry, we saw a movie last night and we decided to walk home. We didn't get back until pretty late." explained Natalie.

"That's alright. Did you both have a good time?" wondered Helena.

"Yeah, we did." smiled Willy. The entire family sat down to a wonderful breakfast.

"I was thinking I could go down and visit the store today. Maybe you could come with me Charlie." said Natalie.

Charlie was about to agree when Willy spoke up,

"Actually Charlie I was kinda hoping you could help me with something today." said Willy.

Charlie looked at him confused. Willy nodded slightly in Natalie's direction and winked when she wasn't looking. Charlie smiled and nodded.

"Sure, you don't mind do you Nat?" wondered Charlie.

"No, course not." smiled Natalie. so after breakfast Natalie went down to the store and Charlie and Willy went off to the inventing room.

"What was it you wanted me to help you with?" wondered Charlie.

"I have a surprise for Natalie and I wanted to know if you thought it was a good idea and perhaps you could help Me." said Willy. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a box, which he took over to Charlie.

"Go ahead, take a look." smiled Willy. Charlie lifted the lid of the box and gazed down as to what it held.

"It's perfect, she'll love it." he said.

"You really think so?" wondered Willy. Charlie smiled.

"I know she will."


	26. Another Blindfold Situation

Willy and Charlie had been busy with work every single day for the next week

Willy and Charlie had been busy with work every single day for the next week. They only left the inventing room for meal times with the family. Whenever Natalie offered to help they would politely say no and change the topic of discussion. It all felt a bit weird to her, but she just shrugged it off and went to the lounge with one of her books.

"Do you think it's ready?" wondered Willy. He and Charlie examined the room closely. Charlie looked around and noticed that something was missing.

"Almost." he said as he went over to the cabinet and removed the box. Willy smiled and they set to work on the finishing touches. After a moment or two it was finally done. The chocolatier and his apprentice smiled at their work. It was perfect.

"Thank you for all your help Charlie." said Willy.

"No problem. Trust me, she's going to love It." smiled Charlie.

"I hope so." the two said their goodbyes as Charlie went back to the house and Willy went in search of Natalie.

_For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo._

Natalie closed the cover of the book and wiped the tears from her face. She had read Romeo and Juliet so many times before, but it still made her cry every time.

"Good book?" said a voice from behind her. Nat jumped and turned around to see Willy standing there smiling.

"Yeah, just finished." Natalie said. "Always makes me cry."

"What book?" wondered Willy. Natalie held up the cover so that Willy could see.

"I've heard of it, but I've never read It." he said. Natalie's mouth practically dropped to the floor.

"You've _never_ read Romeo and Juliet?" she asked incredulously. Willy shook his head.

"I've never really had time." he said. Natalie held the book out to him.

"You can borrow it if you want." she offered. Willy smiled and took the book from her.

"Thanks. I might start later. But right now I want to show you something." he said. He took her hand and pulled her up off the couch before dragging her out of the room.

When they were in the elevator, Willy pulled out the same scarf that he used to blindfold her on their date last week.

"This seems strangely familiar." joked Nat. Willy blindfolded her once again before pressing a button on the panel.

After a few moments they stopped and Willy led her out of the elevator.

"Willy, what's going on?" Natalie asked.

"I can't tell you." said Willy. Natalie wasn't happy with that answer.

"Aww, Willy!" she whined. Willy laughed at her. She sounded like a little bratty five year old, or even worse...Veruca Salt. Willy shivered at the memory as he continued to lead her down the hallway.

"Please?" she asked again.

"No, you know my policy on surprises." said Willy. Finally after what seemed like ages, they stopped. Nat heard the sound of an opening door and she and Willy entered the room.

"Ok hang on a second." said Willy. Natalie felt the blindfold fall from her eyes and she opened them and re-adjusted them to the light.

They were standing in an unfamiliar white room. There was hardly anything there except a table and a couple of chairs. Nat turned to face Willy who was now standing by the door. She noticed that there was a sign on the door, but it was covered.

"Every candy that's made here has it's own room. So it only made sense." Willy explained.

"You dont mean...?" said Nat.

"Yeah i do." beamed Willy. He pulled the cover off the door and there on a brass plaque were the words_ 'Natalie's Inventing Room' _in big black letters.

"Oh my God!" said Natalie in amazement.

"Do you like it?" asked Willy. Natalie smiled and ran into his arms and gave him a hug.

"i absolutely love it! Thank you." She said.

"Hey, it was no problem at all. Thank Charlie too, he helped me." admitted Willy.

"This is just too much though." Natalie said. "What if you need this room for one of your candies?"

"Nonsense, there are plenty of rooms. And I wanted to do something special for you." Willy smiled.

"You're incredible. Did you know that?" asked Natalie. Willy thought about it.

"Now that you mention it, I have heard it once or twice." He joked. Nat smiled at him before her lips met his in a gentle kiss.

**AN: hey all. Sorry about the suspense of the last chapter he he. I know a few of you thought that there was an engagement ring in the box instead of the plaque but i think it's a bit early for that yet, don't you think? (That's if it's gonna happen XD) **

**Keep the reviews coming because your help and comments mean everything to me.**

**BY THE WAY... ****AurouraandRosalieWannabe**** YOU OWE ME 20 WONKA BARS!!**

**Xo ML17**


	27. Chocolate fights and invitations

Natalie spent most of her spare time in her new inventing room. it gave her the space needed when she wanted to be alone or to keep to herself for a while. Some times even Willy and Charlie spent time in there with her.

On this particular day, Charlie was at school and Natalie was teaching Willy how to make her chocolate-covered marshmallows, as promised.

"I can't believe that you make these without a machine." said Willy.

"Well I never really had access to one at the time did I?" she asked him. Willy thought about it and shook his head.

"Besides, it's more fun this way." she said as she continued her work.

Willy sat at the other end of the short table with a mixing bowel filled with chocolate. his hands were slippery on account of the gooey substance, and he unfortunately had limited control over them. With one quick movement, the spoon, which was also covered in chocolate, slipped out of the bowl, splattering some one Natalie.

Nat stopped instantly and smiled evilly. She subtly took the spoon out of her bowel and held it like a slingshot. Then without a word, she fired it at then unsuspecting chocolatier.

And that was it. War had begun.

Chocolate was flying in every direction, landing on the table, the floor and not to mention Natalie and Willy.

In the end both of them were completely covered in chocolate. They took one look at each other before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. A polite cough was heard behind them. They turned to see a very confused Charlie standing in the doorway.

"Just wanted to let you know that dinners almost ready." he said. Natalie was trying to contain her laughter.

"Ok, we'll be down soon." giggled Willy. Charlie threw them a strange look before leaving. The moment he was gone, Natalie could not hold it in any longer and began to giggle once more.

"We should probably get down there." said Willy as he turned towards the door. Natalie giggled again and tapped him on the shoulder. Willy spun around to face her.

"Do you really think we should go down there…like this?" she asked, gesturing to their chocolate covered clothes.

"You may have a point there, my dear." said Willy. The two went to their separate rooms and came out all washed up and in clean clothes.

"Much better." praised Nat.

"You still have something on your face." said Willy. Natalie was confused. She was sure she had washed everything off.

"Where?" she asked. Willy smiled as he leaned in closer to her. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"Right here." he said before he captured her lips in a kiss. Natalie managed a smile beneath the kiss. After a few moments she regretfully pulled away.

"Not that I wouldn't love to continue, but we did tell Charlie that we would be straight down for dinner." she said. Willy agreed and the two made their way to the awaiting elevator.

"I was thinking, maybe its time that your father visited the factory." said Natalie. Willy looked at her for a moment.

"really?" he wondered. Natalie nodded her head.

"well sure, I mean, you both get on so well now and he did say that he wanted to see us more often. Besides, he wants to see all the hard work you put into everything here." explained Natalie. Willy smiled. It was true, he did have a great relationship with his father now, and they spoke once a week on the phone. And it was all thanks to Charlie and Natalie.

"Yeah! I'll call him tonight." said Willy.

After leaving the elevator, the two finally got to the house just as Helena was serving up.

"Where have you both been?" asked Noah. The two looked at each other, begging themselves not to laugh.

"We had, um... an accident in the inventing room, so we had to get changed." Natalie informed them.

"Ah yes, we all heard about your chocolate fight." laughed Grandpa Joe. They all sat down and enjoyed their meal.

Later that night there was a knock on Natalie's door. She walked over and opened it, revealing Willy standing there. She smiled and ushered him in.

"I spoke to my dad. He said to say hello to both you and Charlie and can't wait to visit." he said as he sat on the bed.

"He's coming?" Natalie asked excitedly.

"Yeah, two days from now." said Willy. Natalie then noticed that Willy was holding a book in his hands.

"oh, I brought your book back." he said.

"you finished it already?" Natalie asked incredulously.

"I couldn't put it down. it was quite frustrating actually." he said

"what do you mean?" wondered Natalie.

"Well I kept wanting to read it, but I had so much work to do. and it took me a while to figure out what they were talking about." said Willy, with a giggle. Natalie had to laugh, it took her a while to understand too.

"but once I got it, I really liked it." said Willy.

"I'm Glad." smiled Nat.


	28. Dad's Visit and MY AN

Wilbur Wonka was on his way to visit his son's chocolate factory. He remembered the directions that Willy had given him over the phone, but honestly, it wasn't really hard to find a huge grey factory in the middle of a small London town.

He was looking forward to seeing Willy, his girlfriend Natalie and of course her brother Charlie. Ever since that day they visited, Wilber had constant contact with them all. He spoke to his son once every week, making sure that what happened in the past stayed there, and that they would never lose touch again.

He entered the iron gates and proceeded to the front door. After knocking, he was waiting patiently when the door opened, and there stood a tiny little man. Wilbur had honestly never seen anyone like him.

"I'm looking for Willy or Natalie." said Wilbur. The little man nodded and bowed before opening the door and showing Wilbur inside.

"Dr. Wonka, so wonderful to see you again, sir." said Natalie as she approached them.

"Natalie, my dear, good to see you." Wilbur smiled as he hugged the young woman.

"Thank you Harry." Natalie said to the oompa loompa. Harry bowed and walked away.

"Who was that?" asked Wilbur.

"That was Harry, one of the Oompa Loompas that work here in the factory." Natalie explained.

"An Oompa what?" wondered Wilbur. Natalie laughed.

"Don't worry, Dr. Wonka, you get used to them." She said.

"Remember what we spoke about, Natalie. You must stop calling me Dr. Wonka. Wilbur is perfectly fine." smiled Wilbur. Natalie smiled as they made their way towards the chocolate room. She opened the door and stood back to let Wilbur take it all in.

He was completely astounded. Never in his life had he seen such a wonderful place.

"This is amazing." He said.

"Yeah it it isn't It." agreed Nat.

"Willy and Charlie are still working I'm afraid. You're more than welcome to wait here while I got and get them." Offered Nat. Wilbur shook his head.

"I'll come with you, if you don't mind." He said.

"sure." smiled Natalie. They walked over to where Nat had parked the great glass elevator.

"Could you push that button for me?" asked Nat. "the one saying inventing room."

Wilbur kindly obliged and pushed the button. After a moment the two were off.

"Willy will give you a proper guided tour later." said Natalie.

The elevator stopped outside the inventing room and the two made their way inside. From the doorway they could see Willy and Charlie hard at work, their backs away from them, leaning over a table.

"I'm telling you Willy, it won't work." warned Charlie.

"All the more reason to try it!" said Willy. Natalie laughed as she heard her little brother sigh. They were most likely trying a new invention.

"Don't you think you boys should be finishing up now?" asked Nat.

"We've got plenty of time." said Willy, not bothering to turn around.

"Oh really? What time was your father arriving?" asked Nat.

"Noon." said Willy, still not facing her.

"Charlie, what's the time?" asked Nat. Charlie looked at the watch on Willy's wrist.

"It's quarter past twelve!" he said. Willy immediately stopped what he was doing.

"Oh no, he's gonna be here any…" he started as he finally turned around and saw his father standing in the doorway, next to Natalie, who had a very amused look on her face.

"Wow, that was quick." said Willy. Wilbur laughed and Charlie and Willy made their way over to them. After saying hello they all made their way back to the elevator. Every time something important or of interest came along; Willy would point it out and explain what it was or what it was used for.

Not long after, they arrived back in the chocolate room and headed towards the house, where a beautiful lunch was being prepared.

"Helena, Noah, this is my father, Wilbur." said Willy, introducing the adults. Wilbur greeted both parents plus grandparents and they all sat down for lunch.

After lunch, everyone sat round the table and talked and before long it was time for Wilber to head home.

"Thankyou both so much for today." Wilbur said as Willy and Natalie walked him to the door.

"No problem at all Wilbur." smiled Natalie.

"This is a remarkable place, Willy. You should be very proud. I know I am." The elder Wonka said. The words were like music to Willy's ears.

"Thanks dad."

The three said their goodbyes and after he left, Willy and Nat walked back to the chocolate room with their arms around each other.

"I think that went really well." said Willy. Nat smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around Willy.

**A/N: howdy everyone! Lol just thought I would leave a message here. It has come to my attention that "**_**Life Can Be Sweeter with the Right Ingredients"**_** has now become my longest story so far! I'd just like to say a huge thanks to all who read and enjoy my story so far. I'd like to thank all my reviewers. **

**Especially **_**xActDanceWritex,**_** my wonderful partner in crime. Without you, I don't know how I could keep coming up with fantastic ideas for all my stories. THANK YOU!**

**Also thanks to my other reviewers, whom without you all, this story wouldn't have gone as far as it has…don't stop with your amazing support and ideas.**

_**ryuzaki25**_

_**ElphieThroppDG28**_

_**writtensofine27**_

_**AuroraandRosalieWannabe…thankyou for the Wonka bars..they were delicious!**_

_**Kaytieorndorff**_

_**Nightcrawlerlover**_

_**Lift The WingsOpera-Gypsy**_

_**Childhood-Disruption**_

_**Bloody Midnight**_

_**Snuffles-sweetie**_

_**smallncrazy91**_

_**supernaturalobbsessed**_

_**Ladey Jezzabella**_

_**Superdani**_

_**KeLpIeenoch**_

_**RobertChaseICU**_

_**Snowboardevil**_

_**Phantom's Ange…I have given your idea much consideration…wait and see ;)**_

_**The Rose Princesse**_

_**Loonalily**_

_**RestInChaos**_

_**SexySadie88**_

_**Cupcakesluver**_

**If I have missed anyone im sorry, I am so tired at the moment and am capable of falling asleep while typing**

**Thanks once again and stay tuned**


	29. Happy Birthday Natalie

**A/N: hey everyone. a couple of things. first, happy new year! i trust you all had splendid holidays. and there was anotgher chapter posted before this but i quickly realized that i had posted the wrong one! that chapter will be coming up pretty soon in the next one or two chapters, i havent decided yet. But heres The REAL chapter "Happy Birthday Natalie". Also, i have posted a pic of what i believe Natalie looks like in my profile...let me know what you think...Enjoy**

The months passed by quickly. Everyone was loving life in the factory and Willy and Natalie were still crazy about each other. It was now mid September and only two and a half months until Christmas. However, today was particularly special, to those who lived in Wonka's Chocolate factory at least. It was Natalie's 25th Birthday.

There was a tradition between the Bucket children, that when it was one's birthday, the other wakes them up however they wanted to, which usually meant jumping on the bed. It was just a bit of fun, and neither of them minded really.

Charlie silently opened his sister's bedroom door and tiptoed inside. He saw her lying peacefully asleep on the bed. Well, that was about to change. He started running and jumped up onto the bed.

"Ahh!" said Nat, covering her face with a pillow.

"Wake up Nat!" Charlie said, bouncing up and down.

"I'm awake. I'm awake." Nat giggled. "I guess this means it's my birthday huh?"

Charlie didn't stop bouncing but nodded his head enthusiastically. Natalie smiled evilly at her little brother and grabbed his feet, pulling him down next to her. He smiled and tried to get up but she stopped him

"Not so fast, master Bucket. I believe payback is in order." Nat joked as she began tickling him. Charlie began laughing uncontrollably. Their fun was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their voice. They looked up, although Nat didn't stop tickling her brother, and saw Willy leaning in the doorway, with a very amazed look on his face.

"And what horrible despicable act did young Charlie commit to be tortured like this?" he asked. Natalie smiled

"I…woke…her…up… for…her…birthday." Charlie said in between laughs. Willy raised one eyebrow in disbelief.

"It's your birthday?" he asked. Natalie looked at him incredulously. But Willy smiled and laughed.

"Joking…of course I knew." he laughed. Charlie and Natalie looked at each other and smiled. They both grabbed a pillow and threw them at Willy. He tried to dodge them but they were flying from every direction. One got him directly in the face, causing him to fall to the floor. Charlie got up and walked over to where Willy was lying and whispered something in his ear. Willy smiled and nodded. Natalie noticed the look in their eyes and ran for it. But honestly, she never had a chance before the two ganged up on her and were tickling her. Natalie was laughing so much that tears were falling from her eyes.

"Beaten…at my…own game…how bad…can it get?" She giggled. Finally Willy and Charlie decided that she'd had enough. It _was_ her birthday after all. Charlie got off the bed and Willy helped Nat up. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms.

"Happy Birthday." he said softly, pulling her into a kiss.

"Eww, you guys are gross!" Charlie said, pulling a face and covering his eyes.

"Someday you might not mind as much." laughed Nat, pulling away from Willy.

"Alright you two, out." Nat said, shooing them out of the room. "I'll see you downstairs." The guys smiled and left Natalie to get changed.

On his way downstairs, Willy was thinking about tonight. He had planned on celebrating Natalie's birthday with her by them having a romantic dinner together where he could give her his gift. He thought of something as he and Charlie got into the elevator.

_Will he?_

_Won't he?_

_Should he?_

…_Could he?_

All these questions were bouncing around in his head. Did he have enough courage to do what he had planned?

"Gee, Natalie was surprised this morning huh Willy?" smiled Charlie. Willy giggled nervously.

"Heh, yeah. Surprised." He said.

He had made up his mind. Tonight he would tell her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After getting dressed, Natalie went down to the house where she was met with a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' from her family. After breakfast, Helena decided that it would be best to give Natalie her presents then, since Charlie would be at school at lunch.

She received some new clothes from her parents, a brand new scarf to replace the old tattered one, made by her grandmothers, a new book from her grandfathers and a beautiful homemade card from Charlie.

Charlie had also helped Helena in making a small chocolate birthday cake. Natalie smiled as her family sang to her.

"Come on Nat, make a wish." Grandpa Joe urged. Nat thought hard about it.

"I don't know what to wish for." she said. "Everything I could ever want is in this room with me." Still, she closed her eyes and blew out the candles. After sharing the cake, Charlie headed off to school and Natalie went to help clean up, but her parents told her to go and enjoy the rest of her birthday however she wanted. So she and Willy said goodbye to the family and left the house. They walked together in the chocolate room, hand in hand for a while when an Oompa loompa came by to give a message to Willy.

"I've gotta go, sorry." he said sadly.

"It's fine…really." She told him.

"I'll come get you tonight at around seven. We'll have dinner and I can give you your present." he said.

"I'll be waiting." Nat replied. Willy smiled and kissed her hand before leaving with the little man.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Time passed and before she knew it, it was almost seven. Natalie decided to wear some of the clothes her parents gave her. She wore a purple top and black jeans with a pair of heels that her mother had given her. Right on seven, there was a knock at her door. Nat smiled and opened the door to find Willy standing there with a bunch of candy flowers.

"You brought me candy flowers?" she asked happily.

"Well actually," he said, pulling out a rose. "This one's real." He said giving her the flower.

"But yeah, I brought you candy flowers." Natalie blushed.

"They're beautiful." She said. Willy offered his arm and the two walked down to the elevator. Willy pushed the button leading to the lounge and off they went.

When they arrived, Natalie saw that there was a candle light dinner set for two, as well as the fireplace burning bright. Willy guided her to her seat and pulled out her chair as she sat down.

"This looks amazing." Nat said.

"I'm glad you like it." Willy said shyly. You would think that after almost eight months of being together, Willy would stop getting butterflies in his stomach every time he was with her…but no.

Three Oompa Loompas came out carrying two plates of pasta and a bottle of wine. Willy raised his glass up high.

"Happy Birthday." he said. Natalie smiled and raised her glass too before they continued their meal.

After a magnificent dinner the couple were sharing Chocolate mousse for desert.

"Can I give you your present now?" Willy asked.

"You really didn't have to get me anything." Natalie said. Willy shrugged.

"I know I didn't have to. But I want to so I did." He smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

"I thought you might like this." Willy said shyly. He opened the box and inside, was a stunning silver bracelet. On the end, was a small charm with _'Willy & Natalie'_ engraved on it. Natalie was left speechless. It was so incredibly

"Do you like it?" Willy asked hopefully. Natalie couldn't speak. She nodded her head and held out her hand. Willy smiled and helped her put it on her wrist. It was a perfect fit.

"Thank you so much." Nat said, finally regaining her voice.

"No problem." Willy said.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After their meal, the two were relaxing on the couch together. Natalie gazed into the flames of the fireplace with Willy's arm wrapped protectively around her as she rested her head against his chest. Willy thought about what had come to mind earlier on that day. He had to say it now. He took a deep breath.

"Nat?" he asked.

"Mmm?"

"I…have to tell you something." He said.

"Yeah?" she replied. Willy sighed. This was more difficult than it looked.

"I…I…" he stuttered. Natalie put her hand on his, giving him the extra push he needed.

"I love you." He said. Natalie looked up at him in disbelief.

"Did you just…" she asked.

"Um…yeah." Willy said. Natalie smiled and kissed him.

"I love you too." she said.

"You…you do?" Willy asked. Natalie laughed. A sound that made Willy smile every time he heard it.

"Are you really that shocked?" she asked him.

"Well…" Willy started. This just made Natalie laugh again as she snuggled closer to him. Willy sighed contently as he held her close and kissed the top of her head.


	30. Let it Snow

**A/N: Hey everyone. Oh My Goodness…101 reviews! I feel so special…thank you everyone, without you this story wouldn't have gone as far as it has…30 chapters now...woot woot!.**

"Ok Charlie, are you ready?" Natalie asked her little brother. The two Bucket kids were huddled up together, gathering up as much as they could carry while trying to keep quiet. Charlie nodded.

"On the count of three…one…two…THREE!" on the last count, the two threw as many snowballs as possible at their enemy's fort.

"Hey no fair!" Willy yelled out, looking out from behind his wall of snow. At that moment a snowball flew right at him and knocked his hat off his head. He looked over at the others and saw Natalie innocently looking in the other direction.

"You guys out number me." He complained, dusting the snow off his hat and repositioning it.

"Well you're the one who said that you could beat us all on your own." Charlie pointed out. Willy sighed and nodded his head in defeat.

"what do you wanna do now, Charlie?" Natalie asked.

"can we build a snowman?" the young boy asked.

"Of course." Nat smiled. The three set to work on their snowman. After the body was completed, Charlie went in search of things around the factory grounds to decorate the snowman with. He returned with a few sticks and some rocks as well as Natalie's old worn-out scarf. When they were done they stood back to admire their work.

"It's missing something." Natalie said. They thought about it for a while until Willy had an idea.

"I've got it!" he said happily. He walked over and placed his hat on top of the snowman's head.

"There, what do you think?" he asked them.

"It looks great!" Charlie said.

"Come on, why don't we go inside for some hot chocolate before we help with the tree?" Nat suggested. Charlie ran ahead and Willy took Nat's hand as they walked back into the factory.

It was a week before Christmas, the first that the Bucket's would be spending in the factory with Willy. Everyone was so excited, especially Willy. It had been so long since he had spent a Christmas with anyone, apart from the Oompa Loompas.

When they arrived at the house, there were three steaming mugs of hot chocolate waiting for them on the table. The Grandmothers and Helena were sorting out some of the Christmas decorations and Noah was attempting to untangle some Christmas lights, while Grandpa Joe and Grandpa George were arguing as to whether he was doing right or not.

Even though they could never afford much for Christmas in the past, the Buckets still had Christmas decorations from when Natalie was a little girl. Some of them were hand made by one of the grandmothers, or either Charlie or Natalie when they were at school.

Willy was nice enough to take Charlie and Nat out to go buy some brand new decorations, seeing as there was a lot more to decorate now.

After they were done, everyone made their way to the lounge, where they would set up and decorate the Christmas tree.

"Willy, would you like to put the star on top?" Charlie asked after the decorations were put on the tree. Willy knew it was an honour to put the star on top of a Christmas tree and he was touched that Charlie had asked him to do it.

"Me?" he asked.

"Sure, you are family after all." Charlie smiled. Willy couldn't help but smile. They really thought of him as family. And to be honest, he couldn't think of a better family to be a part of.

"How about we do it together?" Willy suggested. Charlie nodded and Willy lifted him up onto his shoulders and Charlie placed the star on top.

**A/N2: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was just some holiday fun! In the next couple of chapters, there will be a surprise blast from the past for one of the characters…ooohhh. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	31. And so this is Christmas

**A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been pretty busy with exams at school and to top it all off, we're renovating our house so the electricity had to be off for a little while.**

**I would like to apologise that this is so short but I had to get it out there so I could post my next one which might be either today or tomorrow.**

**Secondly I wish to apologise to**_** writtensofine67**_**, for the typo in my last update.**

**Now, enjoy the chapter!**

Natalie woke up early on Christmas morning. Looking out her window she saw that it was still dark outside. Fresh snow had begun to fall and was covering the window panes outside. Natalie's alarm clock told her it was 4:30. Usually for Christmas, she and Charlie would go downstairs and wake everyone up at five. Knowing she wouldn't go back to sleep, Natalie got out of bed. She grabbed her dressing gown that was hanging over her vanity chair, wrapped it tightly around herself and walked to the elevator.

Last night was so much fun, everyone enjoyed themselves so much. They all sang Christmas carols and listened to music and danced and sat by the fire with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and told stories.

Down in the lounge, the Christmas tree looked as amazing as ever. The flames from the fireplace cracked and hissed, reflecting light off the decorations surrounding the tree's branches. Natalie sat on the couch, gazing into the warm flames. She was so mesmerized that she didn't notice someone come in and sit next to her.

"You're up early." Natalie said, not taking her eyes away from the fireplace.

"I could say the same to you." Willy said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Natalie snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Merry Christmas." Willy said, placing a gently kiss on her head.

"Merry Christmas." Nat replied.

They sat together in each other's company until the clock chimed five. They heard the doors open and the sound of Charlie's footsteps behind them.

"Happy Christmas you two!" the young boy said cheerfully. Natalie smiled; she wondered how he had all this energy that early in the morning.

"Happy Christmas, sweetie." Natalie said hugging her brother tightly. Charlie then hugged Willy as Helena and Noah came in with the grandparents. After exchanging well wishes and hugs, they all sat down and opened their presents together as a family.


	32. What are you doing here

Months passed and Charlie was walking down old familiar streets. Ever since they moved into the factory, Charlie visited his old neighbours to collect any mail that was misdelivered. When he walked past the empty space where his family home once stood, he saw a young man talking to one of the neighbours.

"Moved into the Chocolate Factory, they did." said the old woman who lived a few doors down. "Been living there for almost a year now, after young Charlie Bucket won that last golden ticket."

"Thank you ma'am." said the man in a heavy Irish accent, before walking away. For some reason, he seemed so familiar to Charlie.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help over hearing that you were looking for the Buckets." Charlie said to him. The man turned around to face him.

"Yes, I'm an old friend of their daughter." the stranger said. Then, Charlie realized why he was so familiar.

"Connor?" he asked. The man smiled and nodded. Charlie walked over and gave Connor a hug.

"Goodness Charlie, look at you. You've grown so much." he said proudly.

"Natalie's at work right now, but I can take you over there if you'd like. I bet she'd love to see you." Charlie said.

"Sure thing." smiled Conner. The two walked towards Cherry St. catching up.

"So it was you who won the whole ticket escapade?" asked Conner. Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, we live in the factory now." he explained.

"So you know the famous Willy Wonka?" he asked. Charlie nodded. Conner was impressed.

"Nat still works in the shop huh?" Conner said as they crossed the street to Farthingham's.

"Yeah, but only once a week, otherwise she's at the factory." said Charlie.

Natalie had just finished serving a customer when she saw Charlie.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working with Willy?" she asked. Then she saw Connor.

"Hey Nat." he said. Natalie just stood there speechless.

"Oh my god." she said as she left the counter and ran to him, giving him a hug. Conner picked her up into a huge hug.

"Conner, what are you doing here?" she asked happily.

"I came to visit you, but then I found your house gone. Luckily I ran into Charlie." Connor explained.

"I just can't believe you're here." Natalie gushed.

"Nat, your mum's on the phone." said Jimmy.

"ok." said Nat. the three of them walked into the backroom.

"Hi Mum."

"_Nat, have you seen Charlie? Willy's been looking for him."_

"Don't worry, he's here. Tell him he's on his way." Nat said looking at her little brother.

"Mum, hang on a second." Natalie said before handing the phone to Conner.

"Talk to mum." she whispered. Connor smiled and took the phone.

"Hello Mrs. Bucket." he said.

"_Connor, is that you?" _

"Yes, it's me. How are you ma'am?"

"_Wonderful dear, you?"_

"I'm wonderful thank you."

"_Could you put Nat back on?" _

"Absolutely, it was wonderful to speak to you again. Bye-bye." said Connor handing the phone back to Natalie.

"_Has he got a place to stay?"_

"Well, I'm not sure, hang on." said Nat.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" she asked Connor. He nodded in reply.

"Yes mum." said Nat.

"_Well tell him to join us for dinner tonight. Willy's idea."_

"Is he there?" wondered Nat.

"_Yes dear, hang on."_

"_Hey."_ Natalie smiled when she heard his voice.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"_Yeah, I'd like to meet him."_ Natalie smiled.

"Ok then, we're leaving now." she said.

"_Ok, I love you."_ Natalie smiled.

"I love you too." she said.

"_See you when you get home_." Natalie put the phone down and looked at the two who were staring at her waiting to hear what the conversation was about.

"You have been personally invited to dinner by Willy Wonka." she said.

"Really?" asked Connor. Natalie nodded.

"Wow."

"I'll just get my stuff and we can go." Natalie said. The two boys waited at the counter for Nat. She grabbed her stuff and said goodbye to Jimmy.

"Alright, let's go." She smiled.

**A/N: There you go. Natalie's best friend from childhood returns. Please review and let me know what you think should happen? I need some ideas guys. Xo ML17**


	33. Best friend meets Boyfriend

**A/N: Hi all. I would like to dedicate this chapter to my beautiful little cousin, Ashii, who I watch this movie with sometimes lol. LOVE U ASHII-BABE‼!**

**Now enjoy the chapter.**

"It was your fault." Connor said laughing.

"What! How was that my fault?" Natalie wondered.

"It was. You were the one who dared me." Conner said. Natalie scoffed.

"Doesn't mean you _actually _had to go and do it!" she said. Charlie smiled as he listened to his sister and her best friend arguing. Before too long they made it to the factory.

"Make sure you apologise when we get in there, Charlie, mum was worried about where you were." Natalie said. Charlie nodded as they made their way inside.

"Where can I put my coat?" Connor asked.

"Sure…drop it anywhere." Charlie shrugged. Connor looked confused and looked at Nat who nodded. The young man shrugged and dropped his coat on the ground and followed the other two down the hallway. Charlie unlocked the door and opened it, leading Conner into the chocolate room.

OOoOoOoOo

"We're home." Charlie yelled out before going and greeting his grandparents. Helena appeared out of the kitchen.

"Hello you two. Connor dear, so good to see you!" she said, giving Connor a hug.

"You too, Mrs. Bucket." Connor smiled, before shaking Noah's hand.

"Where's Willy?" Charlie asked, looking around for his mentor.

"He had to run down to the inventing room for a moment; he shouldn't be too much longer." Noah said. As if on cue, there was a beeping sound. Charlie fished around in his pocket and pulled out one of the walkie-talkies that he and Willy got for Christmas.

"Hi Willy." He said.

"_Hey Charlie. Are you able to come down to the inventing room real quick? I kinda need your help…we have a bit of a situation here."_

Charlie looked up at his parents who nodded.

"Be there in a minute." Charlie said.

"_Great! And can you bring a pair of scissors?"_

Natalie held out her hand, asking for the walkie-talkie. Charlie smiled and gave it to her before running out the door.

"If you both aren't back here quickly I'll give your share of desert to the Oompa Loompas." She warned.

"Oompa Loompas?" Connor mouthed to the others. They nodded.

"_Ok honey. Charlie just got here now. We'll be about ten minutes."_

"Alright." Nat smiled as the line went dead.

OOoOoOoOo

About ten minutes later Charlie and Willy walked through the door. Well actually, Willy walked; Charlie was being pushed in by his mentor as he laughed hysterically.

"Everything alright boys?" Helena asked from the kitchen, where she and Conner were preparing dinner. Willy looked a little annoyed, but tried to hide the smile forming on his face. Charlie finally stopped laughing.

"What happened?" Grandpa Joe asked.

"Another mishap with the hair toffee." Willy smiled. Natalie started giggling.

"Yeah…basically, we had to give a couple of the Oompa Loompas a much needed haircut." Charlie laughed. Natalie tried to stop giggling as Willy came over to her.

"hi." He said, giving her a kiss. "How was your day?"

"It was great…especially after the surprise I got this afternoon." Nat said, nodding over to Conner, waving him over. Conner put the stack of plates down on the bench and walked over.

"Willy this is Connor O'Riley." Natalie introduced. "Connor, this is Willy Wonka." Conner smiled and held out his hand, which Willy took without hesitation.

"Connor and I grew up together." Natalie said.

"Pleasure to meet you." Willy smiled.

"Believe me. The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Wonka." Connor said.

"Please, call me Willy." Willy smiled. "So how long are you in town for?"

"Well I was planning on a week or so. It's been so long since I've been back here after my travels." Connor explained. That started a long conversation between the two about travel. During the conversation, Willy looked over at Natalie. Her face seemed to fall when Connor spoke about his travels.

Before too long Helena called everyone to the table for dinner. Connor and Nat kept remembering things that happened when they were younger and to Natalie's relief, both Conner and Willy got on wonderfully.

OOoOoOoOo

"That was a wonderful meal, Mrs. Bucket." Connor said.

"Thank you dear." Helena smiled.

"Well this has been a wonderful evening, but I'm afraid I must be getting back to my hotel." He said regretfully, getting up from his chair.

"How about I walk you there?" Natalie asked.

"That would be great." Connor smiled. "It was wonderful to see you all again, and wonderful to meet you Willy."

"You too, Connor." Willy said. Connor said goodbye to everyone, promising to see them again soon, and he and Natalie left the factory.

"Willy seems like a good guy." Connor said.

"Yeah, he is. He's been so good to us." Natalie said.

"how long have you two been together?" Connor wondered.

"It will actually be a year in about three weeks." Natalie smiled.

"I'm real happy for you Nat." Connor said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks Connor. You don't know how much that means to me." Nat said.

"Hey I was thinking, do you wanna hang out tomorrow? You know, catch up a bit more?" Connor asked.

"Tomorrow's the first right?" Nat wondered.

"Yeah." Connor said. Nat smiled sympathetically.

"I'd love to, really. But tomorrow's actually kind of an important day. You see, today is the anniversary of when Charlie found the ticket and tomorrow Charlie, Willy and I are spending the day together, because it's going to be a year since we went to the factory." She said.

"Oh, ok then. Some other time?" Connor asked. Natalie nodded. Connor smiled and they noticed that they had arrived at the hotel.

"Well have a good day tomorrow. I'll see you around, Nat." Connor said, kissing her cheek. Nat waved goodbye and started on her journey home.

oOoOoOoOo

"Charlie, can I ask you something?" Willy asked. They were sitting at the table, building a house of cards. The grandparents were resting and Noah and Helena cleared up after dinner.

"Sure." Charlie smiled.

"When I was talking to Connor this evening, Natalie seemed to act a little weird when we were talking." Willy explained. "do you know why?"

"That poor girl. She had a hard time when he left." Grandma Josephine said. Willy looked confused. Helena and Noah looked at each other cautiously.

"Connor and Nat were actually sweethearts when they were younger." Noah explained.

"Really?" Willy asked.

"After they finished school, Connor planned to go and travel the world. He asked Nat to go with him, but she refused." Helena said.

"She did? But why?" Willy asked. he couldn't understand why Nat refused. He knew how much she wanted to see the world.

"Because he wasn't planning on coming back." Grandpa George said. "he had planned on leaving and coming back. And knowing Natalie…"

"She wouldn't wanna leave you all." Willy finished. Charlie nodded.

"But a few years ago she got a letter from him. Saying he was sorry and that all he wasted was to be her friend again." Charlie said.

"Hm! Doesn't deserve her, if you ask me!" Grandpa George said.

"Grandpa." said a voice from the doorway.

"You know that I've forgiven him, and that everything is in the past now." Natalie said.

"Charlie, I think it's time you went to bed." Helena said. the young boy nodded and said goodnight before disappearing un the stairs. Natalie sighed and sat down in her brother's seat.

"So, what do you think we should do tomorrow?" she asked Willy. The chocolatier sat back in his chair and thought about it.

"I'm not sure yet. But I know whatever it is will be great." He said.

**A/N2: Hey again, I really need some ideas on how they should celebrate their special day...and possible some ideas for Nat and Willy's anniversary....lol PLEASE HELP ME!!! **


	34. Their Day Together

Charlie woke up the next morning and went downstairs. To his surprise, Natalie and Willy were waiting for him.

"Morning." He said.

"Morning Charlie!" everyone said. Charlie smiled and pulled up a seat at the table next to Willy.

"So, what are we going to do today?" he asked. Willy and Natalie smiled.

"That, my dear brother, is a surprise." Nat said. Helena came over with some breakfast for Charlie. He finished up and ran back upstairs to get dressed, before going and meeting the other two by the front door.

"Alright you three, have a good day." Helena said. The three said their goodbyes and left the house. The great glass elevator was waiting for them outside. Once inside, Willy pushed a few buttons and they are off towards their destination.

After about ten minutes the elevator landed and the three of them got out. Charlie looked around and saw that they were at the arcade.

"This is awesome!" he said. Nat smiled.

"I thought it would be a good idea, seeing as how we have the entire day…and because Willy's never been." She said. Charlie's mouth fell to the floor.

"You've never been to an arcade?" he asked his friend. Willy shook his head. Charlie smiled and grabbed their hands and pulled them along.

"Ok what do you guys wanna do first?" Natalie asked. Willy looked around at all the different things.

"What about this one?" he suggested, pointing towards the basketball toss. Natalie put some money into the machine and the game started.

"All you have to do is get the ball into the basket as many times as you can." Charlie said. Willy grabbed the basketball and threw it, only just missing the hoop.

"It's ok, you get more turns." Natalie said. Willy smiled and tried again. This time he shot it straight into the ring.

"This is pretty cool." He said, smiling brightly. Natalie smiled. She was glad she had thought of this.

Next they tried the racing games. The three of them sat in the cars and raced against each other. In the end, Charlie beat them both. He jumped up onto the seat of the car and did a small victory dance. Natalie and Willy laughed.

"I can't believe it. He's only 11 and he beat us in a driving race!" Willy said. Natalie laughed and told her brother to get down off the seat. Charlie smiled and jumped down.

"Hey look! Dodgems!" he said happily. "You guys wanna go?"

"Sure thing, Charlie." Willy smiled happily. The three ran over to the ticket booth. They each decided on what car they wanted. Charlie chose Green, Natalie Chose Blue and Willy had the purple car. The buzzer sounded and they raced around the track.

Natalie swerved out of the way as Willy drove past her and bumped into Charlie. The young boy laughed and tried to turn around, determined to get his mentor back. Nat looked around and saw the mischievous look in their eyes. They both drove around and bumped her at the same time. This all continued until the buzzer sounded again and the ride was over.

"That was so much fun!" Natalie laughed, trying to get out of the car.

After a few more games, Natalie found one she had been dying to try.

"What's this?" Willy asked.

"DDR." Charlie said.

"DD what?" Willy wondered.

"Dance Dance Revolution." Natalie explained. "It's a dance competition."

"Wanna try it?" Willy asked her. Nat smiled and nodded. Both she and Willy jumped into position while Charlie put some money in to start the game. After a few moments, the music began to play and Willy and Nat started dancing. In the end, Natalie only won by about three or four points.

"Have a look over here." Nat said, pointing to a machine in the far corner. "It's one of those photo booths."

"Let's get some done!" Charlie said. They walked over to the booth and inserted some money and read the instructions. They had five shots all together to do whatever poses they wanted. Luckily for them, they were all able to fit inside. Willy sat down on the seat inside and pulled Natalie onto his lap, and then Charlie stood on her other side.

After the five photos were taken, they waited patiently outside the booth for their pictures to develop. A few minutes later their pictures were ready. Willy took them out of the machine and held them up for them all to see.

There were two of them smiling. Another of them all pulling a face, of them laughing and one with Willy and Charlie both kissing Natalie's cheeks.

"Hey, these turned out pretty good." Nat said. Both Willy and Charlie agreed.

After that, they decided it was time to go back home. Natalie and Charlie stood back and watched Willy try and remember where he parked the elevator, trying not to laugh. He ended up remembering after he ran into it once again. The two Bucket's ran over to him to see if he was alright. Willy smiled and opened the doors.

When they got home, it was about seven thirty. Helena and Noah had gone out for a while, they hardly ever went out any more, and the grandparents were resting, so Willy, Charlie and Natalie decided to go up to the living quarters. Natalie scribbled a quick note to her parents, telling them where they were and left the house. Upstairs, they all headed off to Willy's room.

It was a cold night, and Willy happened to have a fireplace in his room. One of the Oompa Loompas brought in some extra firewood and the three sat in front of the warm flames. Charlie sat on the floor while Willy and Natalie had the couch.

"Did you have a good day Charlie?" Willy asked. Charlie nodded.

"So far, this year's been great!" he said. Natalie laughed.

"It's only the first of February." She said. Charlie shrugged.

"I know. But I mean, we had new years, and then we had my birthday, and now today…it's been a great year so far." He said, yawning slightly.

Natalie smiled, remembering the week before when they all celebrated Charlie's birthday.

_Flashback_

_It was the morning of Charlie's 11__th__ birthday, and the first since they've been living in the factory. Natalie woke up early, getting dressed and silently tiptoeing out of her room. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, turning around and seeing Willy there. Natalie put her hand to her heart and tried to slow her heart rate down._

"_I'm sorry if I scared you." Willy said. Nat smiled and gave him a gentle kiss._

"_It's ok. I try to head downstairs to wake Charlie up and I'm the one who gets scared." She laughed. Willy smiled and the two of them made their way downstairs._

_Inside the house, everyone was awake. Both Natalie and Willy said hello to everyone before she quietly headed upstairs. She saw her little brother lying peacefully in his bed. A smile formed on her face as she walked over and jumped up on the bed, causing Charlie to awake with a jump._

"_Happy Birthday Kiddo!" Natalie laughed. Once he realized what was happening, Charlie smiled brightly and gave his sister a hug. He threw on a jumper and raced downstairs with his sister._

_After all the usual well wishes and happy birthday greetings with hugs and kisses, the family sat down to a delicious breakfast that Helena had prepared for her son's birthday._

_After dinner that night, Charlie unwrapped his presents and spent quality time with his family. He later told Nat that it had been the best birthday he had ever had._

_End Flashback._

Natalie heard a sound and turned around to see Charlie asleep on his spot on the floor in front of the fire.

"Have a look." She whispered to Willy. He looked at Charlie and smiled.

"He must be exhausted." He said.

"Yeah. It'd be a shame to have to wake him up to take him back downstairs." Natalie said.

"You don't have to." Willy said. "He's more than welcome to sleep there tonight."

"Are you sure?" Nat asked. Willy nodded.

"Of course. I'll just go get a spare blanket and pillow for him." Willy said, getting up off the couch and heading into the closet for a minute. He came back with a pillow and blanket tucked under his arm.

"Here, take these for a second." He said. Nat took then and watched as Willy picked Charlie up off the ground. He nodded to the couch and Natalie put the pillow down before Willy carefully put Charlie down on the couch. Natalie put the blanket over him and made sure he was comfortable.

Suddenly, she was overcome with tiredness and she herself began yawning.

"You know, uh, Nat. You're welcome to stay here too if you like." Willy said, obviously nervous about asking her.

"Oh, no. I don't want to be a bother." Natalie said.

"It's really not a bother at all. I was only thinking that, it would be a tad colder in your room and you look so tired, I just thought, you might want to stay here." Willy said.

"Only if you don't mind. I'm more than happy to go back…" Natalie started, but was cut off by a yawn.

"It's fine really. I don't mind at all." Willy said. Natalie still didn't feel right about taking up Willy's room, but she was too tired to argue anymore.

"Ok fine." She sighed. Willy smiled and shook his head. Natalie kicked her shoes off and sat on the bed.

"I still feel like I'm invading your room." She said, lying down on one of the pillows. Willy smirked and hoped into bed.

"It's fine, trust me." He said. Natalie smiled and cuddled closer to Willy. He kissed her forehead and soon they were fast asleep in each other's arms.


	35. How about Dinner

"Thanks a lot." Natalie said, taking her change from the man. She smiled brightly at him before leaving the cafe, sipping her hot coffee as she walked back to the shop. It was another cold February day and unfortunately for her, Natalie realised that she had left her gloves on the kitchen bench that morning. Luckily the heat coming from the coffee cup was sure working wonders on her cold hands.

She walked past the news stand and decided to get the paper to read when she got back to work. With the coffee still in one hand and the newspaper in the other, Natalie searched around inside her coat pocket for her purse.

"Need a hand?" a voice behind her said. Nat turned around and saw Connor standing behind her.

"I'd love one." She said. Connor smiled and took the coffee from her hands. Nat smiled gratefully and paid for the paper. Due to the absence of her gloves and now the coffee cup, Natalie's hands had once again become numb with cold that her purse slipped out of her grasp.

"This is not my day." Nat sighed. Connor chuckled and bent down to pick up the purse and its contents.

"cute picture." He said. Nat saw that he was looking at one of the photos that was taken at the arcade. Natalie, Charlie and Willy decided to separate the photos evenly. Each chose which one they wanted and one was given to Helena and Noah and the other to Wilbur.

"Oh, yeah." Nat said, smiling at the memory. She chose the one where both Willy and her brother were kissing her cheek.

"Gotta love those Arcade photo booths." She laughed.

"You heading back to work?" Connor asked. Nat nodded.

"Yeah." She said. Connor was silent for a few moments.

"I was thinking…what are you doing later?" he asked. Nat thought about it.

"Well, Charlie's gone with Willy to visit his father for a while. They shouldn't be getting back until later. I was just gonna curl up on the couch and read." Nat said.

"How about we have dinner?" Connor asked hopefully.

"Oh, I don't know, Connor." Nat said.

"Oh, come on Nat. I'm only in town for a couple more days…and we've barely seen each other. It'll be just like old times." Connor said.

"Old times?" Natalie questioned.

"Well…you know what I mean." Connor said. Natalie thought long and hard about it then sighed.

"Fine." She said. Connor smiled they had arrived at the store already.

"So I'll see you at the cafe around, say, seven?" he asked. Natalie nodded. The two said their goodbyes and Natalie went back to work.

"Ah, there you are Nat." Jimmy said. "Be a dear and help this gentleman out."

Natalie smiled and put her paper and coffee on the counter and put her apron back on.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked sweetly. The man looked up from the counter and smiled at her. He must have been in his late 30's to early 40's.

"Yeah, hi. I was hoping you could give me a hand with something. I'm visiting my niece and nephew and wanted to buy them something for after school. What would you recommend?" he asked. Natalie smiled and set to work, describing all the different kinds of candy…even if she was a tiny bit biased to one particular kind.

oOoOoOoOo

"What time did Willy say they were going to be back?" Helena wondered.

"I have no idea. They were staying for dinner so they shouldn't be too late." Natalie said, fixing her hair in the bathroom mirror.

"Stop worrying about them dear," Noah said. Natalie smiled as she listened to her father. She walked out of the bathroom and pulled her coat on.

"Listen to Dad, Mum." She said. Helena smiled and shook her head.

"I'll see you all later then." Nat said, grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.

"Have fun sweetheart." Grandpa Joe called out as he and Noah began setting the table for six.

"I will. I love you all!" Natalie shouted back.

oOoOoOoOo

Connor was standing outside waiting for her when she arrived. He looked at his watch. _7:13._ He hoped that she hadn't forgotten.

"Hey, have you been waiting long?" Nat asked as she ran up to him.

"Just got here." He lied. Truth was Connor arrived at about 6:45. The two walked inside where they were met with the warmth from the small fireplace that was situated in the far corner of the cafe. They found a small table directly in front of it. Natalie took off her coat and placed it on the back of her chair. Before she could sit down, Connor had pulled the chair out for her.

"Thanks." She said. he smiled at her before sitting down.

"Well, this is cosy." He smiled. Natalie nodded.

"Yeah. I haven't been here since…"

"June 13th 1999." Connor finished. "the last time I brought you here."

"Yeah." Nat said quietly. She remembered that day all too well. After they graduated, Connor took her there because he had something to tell her. It was the day that Natalie's world came crashing down.

"But we did have some good times, right Nat?" Connor asked. That brought Natalie back from her thoughts.

"Yeah, we did." She smiled. It was the truth; they did have some great times together.

So the evening was spent talking and laughing about the past. They enjoyed their meals and soon it was time to go. Connor offered to walk Natalie home, seeing as it was pretty late and he had to walk by the factory to get to his hotel.

"when do you leave?" Nat asked.

"the day after tomorrow." Connor said, looking at the ground. Nat nodded her head in understanding.

"well, who about we do something tomorrow?" she suggested. Connor looked up at her.

"really?" he wondered. Nat smiled and nodded.

"Charlie has school and Willy and I have a bit of work to do in the morning but I'm sure we can figure something out." She said.

"how about the three of us hang out. We could go skating or something." Connor suggested.

"sounds great." Nat said. So they arranged where to meet and said goodnight.

oOoOoOoOo

When Natalie got inside the Chocolate Room, she found Willy leaving the house. She raced over to him.

"Hey." She said. Willy looked up and smiled.

"Hey." he said, kissing her.

"how was your dad?" Nat asked. Willy wrapped his arm around her waist and they started walking.

"He's great. He said to say hello to you and your family and he hopes to see you soon." He said. "how was dinner?"

"Um, it was alright. A little awkward at the start but it was good. Connor's only in town for a few more days and he's invited us to go skating tomorrow if you want." Nat said.

"Sounds great." Willy said.

oOoOoOoOo

as darkness fell across the sleeping factory, a hidden face lurked within the shadows. Seizing the opportunity, they silently made their way through the gates and inside the factory itself. Inside, they found a glass elevator. After stepping inside, they looked at all the different buttons…one managed to catch their eye.

_Inventing Room._


	36. Skating Confessions

**A/N: Hey All! I'd just like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. With that said, it is my sad duty, as Author, to announce that I have written the first copy of the last chapter of this story…so unfortunately, it will end soon.**

**On a happier note, I wish to Dedicate this chapter to my wonderful friend, ****xActDanceWritex and to wish her an amazingly happy birthday tomorrow‼! Love you Heaps Tash‼! Have a great day tomorrow.**

The next morning, Natalie woke up freezing. She looked outside her window to find it completely frosted over and covered in snow. Rubbing her arms, she mentally kicked herself for not wearing an extra jumper that night. She quickly jumped out of bed, got dressed and threw on that warm jumper that was practically calling her name. As she left her room she prayed to god that the kettle was boiling downstairs.

Lucky for her, Helena had a cup of warm coffee waiting for her when she arrived. Nat smiled and gladly accepted the steaming mug from her mother.

"You're a lifesaver, Mum, really." She smiled, feeling the warm coffee run down her throat, warming her up instantly. She sat down at the table just as Charlie was just packing the last of his books into his bag.

"I'll see you all after school." He said. After saying goodbye, he gave Natalie his walkie-talkie and then left for school.

"Hey, have I got my old skates here?" Nat asked.

"yes dear, I think they're upstairs." Noah said. Natalie nodded and drained the last of her coffee before heading upstairs. The family could hear sounds coming from upstairs, telling them that Nat was frantically looking for her skates. She returned a few minutes later with them hanging around her neck.

A buzzing noise was heard from her back pocket. Nat reached back and pulled out the walkie-talkie.

"Willy?"

_Hey, we kinda have a serious situation down here._

"what happened?"

_A few of the machines in the inventing room have gone a bit haywire._

"but how? We only checked them last night."

_I don't know what happened…but its big._

"well, do you need me to call stay. I can call Connor and tell him we can't make it."

_No, it's alright. You guys go ahead and I'll meet up with you as soon as I can._

"are you sure?"

_I'm sure, Natalie. Go have fun without me._

"alright then. I'll see you later. I love you."

_I love you too. _The line went dead. Natalie sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"everything alright dear?" Helena asked.

"there are some problems with the machines in the inventing room. Willy's being held back for a while." Natalie explained.

"I'm sure everything will be alright, Willy knows what he's doing." Grandma Josephine said.

"yeah, you're right, Grandma." Nat said. she said goodbye to her family and headed off outside. She could see Connor waiting at the gates for her.

"hey…where's Willy?" he asked.

"complications with some of the machines. He's gonna meet up with us a little later." Nat told him.

"I hope it's nothing serious." Connor thought.

"he did sound a little panicked. I don't know what could be wrong, we only checked them last night." Natalie said.

"don't worry, I'm sure its all fine. Come on, let's go." Connor said.

oOoOoOoOo

they arrived at a little pond that was completely frozen over. The two sat on a fallen tree and tied up their skates. Connor fell on his back a few times but they both got the hang of it after a bit of warming up. After all, it had been a long time since they had skated.

"you know, this would be a perfect day…if only it was a little warmer." Nat joked. Connor smiled weakly and continued skating quietly.

"do you ever think about what happened?" Connor asked, catching her off guard.

"I used to." Nat admitted quietly, continuing to skate around the pond.

"what went wrong Nat?" Connor asked.

"you told me you loved me and wanted me to leave my family to see the world with you." Natalie said. "Then when I said no, you left without a trace and broke my heart."

"I came back for you didn't I?" Connor said.

"six years too late!" Nat said. "if you had really loved me, you never would have asked me to leave. you knew I would never do that to them."

"I just thought that you would have waited for me." Connor said.

"Conner, I didn't know what happened to you. I never knew if you were ever coming back so I moved on." Nat said. they were both quiet for a long time, just skating around together.

"I still love you Natalie." Connor said. Natalie stopped skating suddenly and looked up at him incredulously.

"what?"

"I said I'm still in love with you." Connor said. He skated over to her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Natalie tried her best to fight him, but no matter how strong she was, he was stronger.

Suddenly, the noise of a twig snapping was heard. Natalie pulled away and turned around, seeing a horror-stricken Willy standing there, a mixed look of anger and sadness on his face. He looked away angrily and stormed off into the trees.

"Willy! Wait!" Natalie called out, prying herself from Connor's grasp, but it was too late, he couldn't hear her or it could have been that he didn't want to.


	37. I thought she loved me

"What the hell Connor?" Natalie asked as she stormed over to him.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't want that." Connor asked slyly, trying to get her back in his arms. Natalie slapped him hard in the face.

"No I didn't." Natalie said, walking off in the other direction.

"where are you going?" Connor yelled out.

"to find Willy." Nat said angrily. Connor sighed and followed her, rubbing his cheek where Natalie's handprint was now etched on his face.

oOoOoOoOo

Willy could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he walked through the masses of trees and shrubs.

_How could she do that to me?! _ He thought to himself. _ I thought she loved me. _

In an attempt to release some of his anger, Willy kicked on a broken tree stump, when something fell out of his pocket. There on the ground, he found one of the walkie-talkies. Holding it close to his ear, Willy could hear the sounds of people arguing.

oOoOoOoOo

"I don't think you're gonna find him out in all this snow Nat." Connor said.

"well if you weren't such a jerk he wouldn't be out there somewhere." Natalie said angrily.

"I've realized that I was stupid to leave in the first place Nat." Connor said. "I've realized how much I still lo…"

"Don't even say it!" Natalie said hysterically. "you can't do this to me Connor! you just can't come back after all these years claiming that you still love me and expect me to fall head-over-heels for you." said Nat.

"I am in love Connor, but not with you. I'm glad I stayed behind, because I never would have met Willy. I never would have found such a sweet, caring, generous guy who loves me…well, did love me. I hope he'll give me a chance to explain this." she cried.

"I would do anything for you, Natalie. Ever since I got here I've been trying to tell you how much I still love you. I even broke some of the damn machines so we could be alone together…"

"THAT WAS YOU?!" Nat screamed angrily. Connor sighed.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you got in the factory…do you know how much damage you could have done?!" she said. she sighed in frustration.

"he doesn't deserve you Natalie." snapped Connor.

"and you think you do? I love him more than anything, Connor! He's not some spoilt rich kid with daddy's money burning through his fingers." Natalie screamed.

"what's he got that I don't?" Connor asked.

"…me." said Nat. "Now you can either stay here and sulk like a child or you can help me find him…the decision is yours." Nat said, walking off.

oOoOoOoOo

Willy was silent as he continued to listen to their conversation. So Natalie didn't love Connor…she still loved him. He knew he had to go find them…to tell Nat how sorry he was for thinking the worst…and to hit Connor for everything he had done. He put the walkie-talkie back into his pocket and walked away.

oOoOoOoOo

"My choice?" Connor repeated. Natalie continued walking around in search of Willy. The chilling breeze had picked up and was definitely getting colder.

"Yes your choice. It's your fault that were in this mess so you could at least be a good friend and help me." Natalie said.

"Don't you get it, Nat! I don't want to be your friend!" Connor shouted trying to take her hand.

Natalie pulled her hand away and stormed off in the other direction. Connor turned around before hearing a crack followed by a chilling scream. He turned around and saw Natalie fall through the water.

**A/N: OH NO…CLIFFHANGER‼! What's gonna happen to Natalie? Will Willy get so them in time? …Will she survive? REVIEW AND FIND OUT**


	38. Rescue Mission

As soon as she hit the water, Natalie felt her body's temperature drop. She tried with all her strength to push her arms and head above the water, screaming until her lungs got tired and filled with ice water.

She clawed at the ice, trying desperately to get a hold of something. Nat tried to scream for help, but the coldness made her feel tired and the weight of the water kept pulling her down underneath the treacherous ice.

Willy's eyes grew wide as he heard the sound of someone screaming. He raced past the trees and saw Connor racing over to a hole in the ice. There he saw Natalie waving frantically from under it. Wily ran as fast as his legs would go. He skidded across the ice on his knees, not caring at all what happened to him.

"Hold on Nat!" he said. He grabbed a hold of Natalie's hand, but quickly lost grip as she sank deeper again into the black water

"We need to get her out!" Connor said frantically. Without thinking twice Willy took his coat off and tossed it aside, before reaching into the water, trying to grab hold of Natalie.

His plan wasn't working. She was starting to lose consciousness and had become too numb to hold onto his arms. There was really only one thing he could do…he dived in after her.

The water was painfully cold. He could feel it burning as he searched for Natalie. Finally, he grabbed a hold of her waist and held her tight, determined not to let her go. He tried with all his strength to push her up towards the surface. With some mysterious power, he got her to the surface, where Connor pulled them both out.

Willy fell to the side of the ice, pulling Natalie with him. Both he and Connor grabbed their coats and wrapped then around her as fast as they could. Willy placed his head to her chest. She could barely breathe.

"The elevator is parked just over here. We need to get her back to the factory now." Willy said. Connor nodded and the two carefully rugged her up and carried her to the great glass elevator.

"We need some help!" Willy yelled as they made it inside the factory. Noah, Helena and Charlie, who were all in the chocolate room, looked to see what was happening. When they saw Natalie's limp body in Willy's arms, they immediately stopped what they were doing and ran over to them.

"Oh My God, What happened?" Noah asked frantically.

"She fell through the ice." Connor explained. "Willy jumped in to get her."

"Alright, we have to get her to a warm bed." Helena said.

"You can take her to my room." Willy offered. "It's probably the closest."

"Thank you, Willy. Charlie, I need you to go call the doctor." Noah said.

"Alright then." Charlie said, running into the house.

"Willy, why don't you go warm up quickly?" Helena suggested.

"I'm fine really, Natalie is what matters right now." Willy said, shivering a bit.

"It's not going to do any of us good with both of you sick, go on." Helena said. Willy sighed and agreed and raced off to have a shower and warm up. As soon as he was ready he headed straight to his room. Inside he found Helena, Noah and Charlie standing around his bed. Dr. Andrews was sitting on the edge of it examining Natalie.

"How is she?" Willy asked.

"She's going to be fine." Dr. Andrews said. "But you must make sure that she is kept warm. She has suffered from a mild case of hypothermia and her body's temperature must be kept up."

"What do you suggest?" Noah asked.

"Oh, warm blankets do help, but they aren't the only thing. I suggest for her to stay in bed for, say, four to seven days and make sure she drinks plenty of hot fluids. Another way is close body heat. It's most beneficial if someone is with her at all times, transferring their body heat to her." Dr. Andrews explained. Helena and Noah thanked him and Charlie showed him out.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, may I have a word with you?" Connor asked from the doorway. The couple nodded and followed Connor out the door, leaving Willy alone with Natalie. Willy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. At last she had regained a little colour in her cheeks, and he could hear her steady heartbeat once again.

To Willy, it looked as if she was just having an afternoon nap. He didn't want to think about how close he came to losing her and how scared he was when he realized that. He took her hand in his, rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"I'm sorry, Natalie. If I hadn't of run away like that, you wouldn't be like this." He said softly to her. Willy heard the door open again and Noah and Helena came back in.

"Connor told us what happened. He's leaving tonight." Helena said. Willy nodded and focused his attention back onto Natalie.

"Will you be alright with her?" Noah asked. Willy looked at them and nodded, smiling slightly.

"Let us know if anything happens." Helena said, as she and her husband left. Willy felt her hand and her arm. She was getting warmer, but not warm enough. He thought about what Dr. Andrews had said. Carefully he sat down next to her, resting his head on the headboard. He wrapped his arms protectively around Natalie's shoulders and felt his eyes start to drop. Pretty soon, he was fast asleep.

oOoOoOoOo

Helena came up in the elevator to check on Natalie. Quietly, she opened the door and saw both Natalie and Willy asleep on the bed. His arm rested lovingly around her. Helena smiled to herself and shut the door again.

**A/N: Hey All! Wow, I'm cant believe how often I'm actually updating this story lol. Ok, I am in need of some help for this. Now that everything has sort out for them…what should happen next? I have a vague outline of a story plot but I need to know what you, as the readers, and to happen. So please, REVIEW and let me know exactly what you want. Thanks!**


	39. Waking up in your arms

Nat slowly opened her eyes. Her throat was hurting and her head felt heavy. At first she didn't know where she was, but after her eyes finally focused, she realized that she was in Willy's room. She was surrounded in blankets and hot water bottles. The next question she needed answered was what happened? She felt something around her waist and looked to see Willy sleeping peacefully next to her. Natalie smiled at him…it was clear that he wasn't mad at her anymore.

Willy's body shifted a bit and stretched. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find Natalie looking back at him.

"hey." She said softly, gaining some of her voice back.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Willy asked.

"My throat hurts a little but other than that I'm fine." Nat said. "What happened?"

"I heard your fight with Connor," Willy started.

"Connor?! What…" Natalie started

"He's gone. After I heard you both I went back to you. I got there just in time to see you fall through the ice." Willy said.

"Willy, I'm so sorry, I had no idea about Connor…" Natalie said.

"Hey, it's alright. There's nothing for you to be sorry about." Willy said. Nat smiled and cuddled closer to him.

"So, what exactly is wrong with me?" she asked.

"You had hypothermia. The doctor said you have to stay in bed for up to a week." Willy said.

"A Week?!" Nat wondered incredulously. Willy nodded. Nat sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"It shouldn't be _that _bad. All you gotta do is keep warm and drink lots of hot fluids." Willy said.

"There is one other thing I'm sure that will work." Natalie said.

"What's that?" Willy wondered. Natalie smiled and cuddled closer to him.

"Staying exactly like this." She said. Willy smiled and tightened his grip on her, definitely not ever wanting to let go.

"Sounds good to me." He said, kissing her forehead.

"I love you Willy." Nat said.

"I love you too."

oOoOoOoOo

Natalie and Willy sat on the bed comfortably one afternoon. He was tucking in the blankets, making sure that she was warm enough.

"Are you warm enough?" Willy asked her. Natalie smiled and moved over a little bit. Willy smiled and climbed in next to her.

"Now I am. Are you sure you're comfortable?" she asked.

"Very much so. Thank you." He said. Nat rested her head on his chest as Willy sat there running his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"Sorry about taking over your room this week." Nat said.

"Don't worry about it; you should be able to get up pretty soon anyway, the weeks almost up. Besides, I kinda like waking up with you in my arms." He told her.

"I kinda like waking up in your arms." Natalie smiled, snuggling closer to him. "It's gonna be weird when I go back to my room." Willy was quiet for a minute for so.

"I know how we can fix that." He said.

"How?" Natalie wondered.

"Why don't you move in here?" Willy suggested. Natalie looked up at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Move in here with me." He said again.

"I don't know…" Natalie said. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she wasn't sure.

"To tell you the truth…Charlie actually came up with the idea." Willy laughed.

"He did?" Nat wondered. Willy nodded.

"Yeah, the other day when you were asleep, your parents and Charlie came up to check on you. They saw you asleep here with me and Charlie said that you looked happy, and that you might as well move in here." Willy explained. Natalie smiled, trust her little brother to say something like that.

"What did my parents say?" she asked.

"They agreed with him." Willy said.

"They did?" Natalie asked. Willy nodded again.

"Yeah, when they were leaving I heard your mother say something about how she knew it would happen eventually, or something." Willy blushed a little at the last part.

"So, you wouldn't mind if I moved in here?" Natalie questioned.

"Nope." Willy said. Nat smiled again.

"I'd love to." She said. Willy smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Just sitting there, talking, and enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, I was thinking. It's our one year anniversary next week, what do you wanna do?" Natalie asked. Willy thought about it.

"How about dinner…just the two of us?" he suggested.

"Sounds perfect." Nat smiled. Willy sat there deep in thought for ages. He looked down and saw that Natalie had fallen asleep. Smiling to himself, he carefully got out of her grasp and made sure that she was comfortable then left the room.

oOoOoOoOo

Charlie was down in the chocolate room doing his homework when he saw Willy heading towards the house.

"Hey Willy, how's Nat?" Charlie asked. He had just gotten home from school and hadn't seen his sister since the night before.

"She's fine…fell asleep a little while ago. Do you think I could talk to you for a bit?" Willy asked. The young boy smiled and nodded, closing the math book that he had been using.

"I've been thinking…" Willy started as he sat down next to Charlie. He told him all about his idea. Charlie sat there listening intently to his mentor.

When he was finished, Willy looked at Charlie for a response. The young boy smiled brightly and nodded his head furiously.

"That's brilliant!" he said happily.

"You think it's a good idea?" Willy questioned.

"Absolutely!" Charlie said. The chocolatier smiled at his young apprentice.

"Come on, we gotta go talk to your parents." He said. The two got up and raced towards the house. Charlie waited outside as Willy discussed everything with the Buckets. He came of of the house a little while later.

"Well?" Charlie asked. Willy looked up at the boy and smiled.

"They're all for it." He said happily. "Now, I'm gonna need your help, Charlie."

Charlie nodded and he and Willy walked over to the elevator and began discussing their plan of action.


	40. Quite a Catch

When Natalie woke up she didn't find Willy with her. She looked around the room but couldn't see him anywhere. The door opened and in walked her mum.

"hi mum." She said tiredly. Helena smiled at her daughter.

"hey Nat, how are you feeling today?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"a lot better." Natalie said with a smile.

"good…because you can get out of bed now." Helena said.

"I can?" Nat asked excitedly. Helena smiled at her and nodded. She got up and grabbed Natalie's dressing gown that was hanging over the back of the couch. Nat smiled in thanks as she pushed back the covers and got out of bed. Once she had steadied herself, she put the dressing gown around her and walked out of the room.

"have you seen Willy?" Nat asked.

"he and Charlie had to go run some errands, they should be back later on." Helena smiled. Natalie nodded and got into the elevator.

Once at the house, Natalie sat and talked while enjoying a cup of tea with her grandparents, something she hadn't done in a long time.

oOoOoOoOo

"I think that's it." Charlie said, pointing to a large store across the street.

"Ok, let's go." Willy said.

oOoOoOoOo

"so you really think it's a good idea?" Natalie asked. she was in the kitchen helping her mother make lunch. She handed the stack of plates to Noah who then started setting the table.

"Well, I think so." Helena said. "there's nothing wrong with you moving in with him, Darling."

"of course there's nothing wrong. They're both so damn crazy about each other that they wouldn't notice if there was anything wrong!" Grandpa George said. Natalie laughed and brought around a tray of tea for her grandparents.

"but it's true isn't it dear, you do love him?" Grandma Josephine wondered.

"yes Grandma, I do…more than anything." Natalie smiled.

"And we know he loves you too." Helena said.

"you think so?" Nat asked.

"what's not to love? You're quite a catch." Grandpa Joe said. Natalie laughed and shook her head.

"everything will be perfect!" Grandma Georgina said, sighing happily.

"I hope so, Grandma." Nat said.

The front door opened and Willy and Charlie came in. Willy turned and was about to say something when he saw Natalie.

"you're up." He smiled. Nat nodded her head as Charlie ran over and hugged her.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Nat." He said. Natalie grinned and kissed his head. Willy whispered something to Noah before he and Helena followed Willy outside.

"I'm gonna need your help in a few days, Charlie." Nat said.

"with what?" Charlie asked.

"well, I'm gonna need someone to help me pack up my things." She said. Charlie grinned brightly at her and agreed to help out when he got home from school. The other three returned inside and they all sat down for lunch.

oOoOoOoOo

It was a week after Natalie was able to get out of bed, and she and Charlie were in her room, packing up her things. Even though she didn't have that much to pack up, there were two boxes waiting in Willy's room and they still had to pack up her closet. Charlie was just finishing packing another box when Natalie had an idea.

"come on." She said. Charlie looked up at her questioningly.

"where are we going?" he asked. Nat smiled at him.

"you'll see." She said, dragging him up off the floor. They made their way out of the factory and walked down the street. The stopped outside a shop that Charlie had recognised instantly.

"it's Friday isn't it?" he asked happily. Natalie smiled and nodded. Usually on Fridays, Natalie and Charlie would walk down and get chips to share from the old fish and chip shop. But ever since things were bad with their family's financial situation, they rarely went. They sat down on a park bench enjoying their snack.

"I miss this." Charlie said. "I miss the two of us hanging out like this."

"so do I sweetheart, but you know it couldn't be helped." Natalie said. Charlie smiled weakly and nodded.

"but hey, things are better now right?" she asked. Charlie nodded again. "we'll do more together now, I promise Charlie." She said. Charlie smiled at his sister. They sat there talking for about an hour when it was time to get back to the factory.

They headed back upstairs and finished packing Natalie's things. When they were done, Natalie stood and surveyed the now empty room.

"feels weird…I've grown so used to this room." She said.

"yeah, but now you get to share with Willy." Charlie said. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"Come on, let's get these down the hall." She said. they each grabbed a box and walked down the hall towards Willy's room.

"So, are you looking forward to Thursday?" Charlie asked.

"sure am." Nat said. "I can't believe we've been together for a whole year. It's gone by so fast."

"Well…I suppose that's what happens when you're in love." Charlie shrugged. Natalie stopped and looked at her brother astounded. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"You, Charlie Bucket, are too smart for your own good." She laughed. Charlie smiled and ran towards the door. Natalie shook her head and laughed, running after him.

oOoOoOoOo

Willy got out of the elevator and walked down towards his room…well, the room that he now shared with Natalie. He opened the door and found the two Buckets fast asleep on the end of the bed. Natalie had her arms wrapped protectively around her little brother. He silently tiptoed inside but could see that they were starting to stir.

"Well, I see that you both managed to get everything done." Willy said, eying the boxes as he entered the room.

"well…we were going to unpack everything." Charlie said.

"…but we got too tired." Nat said.

"I can see that." Willy laughed. Natalie smiled and stretched.

"you're mother wanted me to tell you that it's almost dinner time." Willy said. the other two got up off the bed and the three of them walked down to the house for dinner.

"Oh, Charlie…I have to talk to you for a second." Willy said. Charlie nodded and walked ahead with Willy to the elevator. Natalie looked at them strangely but shrugged it off and kept walking.


	41. Happy Anniversary

Thursday came around quickly and Natalie was looking for the perfect thing to wear. It was two weeks since the accident and she hadn't heard a word from Connor since, and things were better that way. She and Charlie eventually finished moving her things into Willy's room and everything was working out perfectly.

She searched through the numerous items of clothes that were hanging in the closet until she found something. It was a beautiful red dress that went just below her knees. Natalie smiled and decided to try it on. Looking in the mirror, the dress suited her perfectly. It showed off her curves and most importantly, she felt good in it. She then sat down on her bed and slipped into a pair of red heeled shoes that she found in the bottom of her closet.

After curling her hair, Nat sat down in front of her mirror and put on her make-up. She rummaged through her make-up bag and managed to find a shade of lipstick to match the dress. Usually, Natalie would hardly ever wear makeup, and if she did, it would only be natural colours like browns and such. But tonight, she felt like something different.

Once she was done she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked great. Now all she had to do was wait. Absentmindedly, Nat started playing with the bracelet that Willy gave her. Her fingertips traced over the small heart with_ 'Willy and Natalie' _engraved on it.

A knock at the door took her out of her daze. She got up and went to the door. There stood Willy holding a small bunch of her favourite flowers. he was about to say something but was at a loss for words…she really did look beautiful. Natalie laughed and waved her hand in front of his eyes, trying to snap him out of it.

"Earth to Mr. Wonka." She laughed. Willy blinked and blushed.

"Sorry. You look fantastic." He said. it was Natalie's turn to blush then.

"Thanks…you don't look too bad yourself." She laughed. He smiled and handed her the flowers.

"For you." He said. Natalie smiled and accepted the flowers.

"not candy flowers?" she asked. Willy smiled and shook his head.

"I did think about it…but I thought that these were more fitting." He said, nodding towards the lilies in her hands. Natalie raced into the bedroom and put her flowers in a vase, grabbed her shawl off the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Willy smiled and offered his arm out to her. Natalie took it and the two made their way to the awaiting elevator.

"ok, I know you're gonna hate me for this but," Willy said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a blindfold. Natalie sighed and turned around so that Willy could put it over her eyes. When he was sure that she wasn't looking, he pressed a button and the elevator started to move.

oOoOoOoOo

The elevator came to a halt and opened its doors. Willy took Natalie's hand and led her towards the door. He gripped the doorhandle, but then stopped and removed her blindfold. Natalie looked around. She didn't recognise where they were.

"I don't think I've been here before." She said. Willy smiled.

"That's because you haven't." He said. Natalie looked at him confused. Willy simply winked at her before opening the door. Natalie gasped as she looked at the room in front of her.

"It's…it's incredible." She whispered.

They were standing in what looked like a large ballroom. There were about four windows looking out to a beautiful view of the snow-covered city and the starry night, each with a balcony that was covered in tiny little lights. One of the doors leading out onto the balcony was open, allowing the beautiful moonlight to come streaming through onto the wooden floors.

The room itself was magnificent. A million little lights were everywhere, making the atmosphere magical. It was if the all the stars in the entire night sky had been taken and held in this one room. It the corner of the room, was a table set with a romantic candlelit dinner for two.

"Willy, this…" Natalie said. but no words could come to mind to describe how amazingly perfect everything was.

"I take it from your stunned silence that you like it." Willy joked. All Natalie could do was nod. Willy laughed and they walked over to the table.

"It's really weird. I wasn't sure about this room but the Oompa Loompas insisted on it." Willy said, pulling Natalie's chair out for her.

"well I'm glad they did." Nat smiled. An Oompa Loompa came out with a bottle of wine for them. He poured two glasses for them, bowed and left. Willy raised his glass.

"Happy Anniversary, honey." He smiled. Natalie smiled and did the same.

"Happy anniversary." She said, clinking their glasses together.

They sat and talked for a while when the Oompa Loompas came out with their meal.

oOoOoOoOo

After a delicious dinner, Natalie and Willy were in the midst of a conversation when music filled the room. Natalie smiled as she recognised it.

_**Somewhere over the rainbow  
Way up high  
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby**_

"my favourite song." She said to herself.

"What was that?" Willy asked.

"It's my favourite song." Nat repeated. Willy got out of his seat and walked over to Natalie.

_**Somewhere over the rainbow  
Skies are blue  
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true**_

"Care to dance?" he asked her. Natalie smiled and took his hand. He lead her over to the middle of the room and started dancing.

"So, how did you know my favourite song?" Nat asked. Willy smiled

"a little birdie told me." He said. Natalie smiled

"would that birdie be oh, yea tall, brown hair and is way intelligent beyond his years?" Natalie wondered.

"…Yes." Willy said, spinning her around.

_**Someday I'll wish upon a star  
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me  
Where troubles melt like lemon drops  
A way above the chimney tops  
That's where you'll find me  
**__  
_"this is such an incredible night, Willy." Natalie said.

"well, it's an important night…I wanted it to be special." Willy said. _**  
Somewhere over the rainbow  
Blue birds fly  
Birds fly over the rainbow  
Why then oh why can't I?  
**_

Natalie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contently. Willy held her close to him as they continued dancing, neither of them wanted to let go.

_**If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow  
Why oh why can't I? **_

Willy spun her around once more before the song ended. Natalie looked up into his eyes. Violet meeting blue. Willy pushed a stray curl out of her eyes before he placed his hand on her cheek. Nat smiled as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

"How about we take a walk?" Willy suggested. Natalie smiled and nodded. They walked back over to the table and Nat grabbed her shawl and they walked over towards the balcony.

It really was a beautiful night. Thick layers of snow covered everything in sight; the trees, the rooftops, even the edge of the balcony. Willy rubbed his hands together, trying to keep warm. He wrapped his arms around Natalie's waist and hugged her. Suddenly she saw something in the sky.

"Look! A shooting star." She said, pointing to a bright flash in the sky. Willy smiled at her.

"Go ahead…make a wish." He said. Nat smiled at him and closed her eyes, thinking of what she wanted most of all. When she opened her eyes, Willy wasn't standing next to her. She looked down and gasped. There, written in the snow on the balcony was a message.

_Marry Me?_

Natalie turned to see Willy standing next to her, looking nervous as hell.

"Natalie. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. A can't even try to explain how much you have meant to me this past year. But a few weeks ago, I thought I had lost you…and that almost destroyed me. I don't think I could bear it if I ever had to lose you again. That day gave really showed me what was most important in my life…you." He said.

He slipped his hand inside his coat pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Natalie's hand flew to her mouth in shock as Willy opened the ring box, showing her a stunning white gold ring. In the middle was a deep purple stone surrounded by a small diamond on either side. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as he fell onto one knee.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. Natalie smiled through her tears and nodded her head.

"Yes."

Willy smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger. He got up off his knee and kissed her with all the love and passion he felt for her.

**A/N: YAY! THEY'RE ENGAGED‼ Now all they need to do is tell their family…lol. I was really proud of myself when I wrote this chapter it's one of the more romantic things I have written. **

"**Over the Rainbow" is my all-time favourite song and when I wrote this, I imagined the Ray Charles version suited the moment perfectly. If you haven't heard that particular version before IT IS A MUST FOR YOU TO HEAR IT‼! It is amazing and you don't really get the full idea of their dance without it in my opinion. **

**REMEMBER that photos of Natalie's Engagement ring and her dress she was wearing for the dinner will be posted on my profile.**

**Please please please REVIEW and let me know what you thought of it. I am really grateful to everyone who reviews, especially if they give ideas as to what you liked and didn't like…and ideas on what to do next.**

**So stay tuned, I'm a little stuck with homework at the moment for my literature class…the teacher is on my back about these stupid Catcher in the Rye questions lol…so I shall update when I can…sooner if I get some ideas**

**MUCH LOVE! Musicallife17 **


	42. Celebrations and One Year Later

**A/N: Hey all…I'm back! Sorry it has been so long for an update, I know I was updating like crazy before, but I've been busy with exams and such and now my laptop's on the fritz. **

**Anyways, I wish to dedicate this chapter to AuroraandRosalieWannabe for all her help with this chapter.**

**Please read and enjoy and read the second A/N after the chapter.**

"A toast, to Willy and Natalie." Grandpa Joe said, raising his champagne glass.

"To Willy and Natalie." The others charged their glasses together and cheered. Willy smiled and tightened his grip on Natalie's waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

It was the next morning, and everyone was in the Bucket house celebrating the news of the couple's engagement. Willy had phoned his father early that day to invite him over for a visit. Once he arrived, Willy and Natalie told their family of their engagement.

Helena couldn't stop crying as she hugged her daughter and her soon-to-be son-in-law. Noah smiled and shook Willy's hand, after already giving Willy his blessing the week before. After being passed around from parent to parent, grandparent to grandparent, Natalie noticed someone missing.

She scanned the room until her eyes fell upon her little brother taking the breakfast plates to the kitchen sink. Excusing herself from the group, Natalie made her way over to Charlie.

"Hey." she said quietly. Charlie looked up at her.

"Hey." He said, matching her tone as he looked back at the sink.

"Are you alright…with all of this?" Nat asked, twisting her new engagement ring around her finger. Charlie looked up at his older sister and smiled.

"Of course I am." He said.

"Really?" Natalie wondered. Charlie's smile turned into a beaming grin, the one that Natalie loved to see.

"You're my sister Nat and I love you. I want you to be happy. And I know that being with Willy makes you happy." Charlie said. Natalie smiled and hugged her little brother close to her.

"Thank you." She said, kissing the top of his head before they made their way back to their family.

-ONE YEAR LATER-

A year had passed since Willy and Natalie became engaged and everything was perfect. Since they were so busy running the factory, the couple decided to wait a while to get married. Natalie went down to the store and told Jimmy of her engagement, and was met with more congratulatory wishes and promised that Jimmy would be one of the first to get a wedding invitation…once they set a date of course.

After thinking things over properly, it was decided that Natalie would not be returning to full-time work after the wedding. It was definitely going to be a big change for her, seeing as how she had been working at Farthingham's since she was a young girl of fifteen. Of course she would go back and visit. But she would have work to do at the factory which, although time-consuming, was time spent with those she loved.

Charlie was still the same happy, imaginative boy, only more grown up. At twelve years old, he knew most of the ins and outs of running a successful business as well as having fun and knowing that he had a loving family to go home to every night after school. He was enjoying going to school everyday and had a group of friends that he messed about with on weekends and after work.

The Bucket Family had quite a scare over the past year when Grandpa George suffered Pneumonia and had to stay in bed. But being the stubborn old fool he was, he healed quickly and was back to his usual self.

Every spare moment in the Factory was dedicated to planning ideas for the wedding. Both Willy and Natalie were both fortunate and extremely grateful that they had a family who loved them and wanted to give them the best wedding they could dream of.

One particular afternoon Natalie was working in the inventing room with a couple of Oompa Loompas testing one of their latest creations…although somehow something wasn't quite right, and nobody could figure it out. After a while she gave up for the day and decided to take it easy. She told the workers it was time to stop for the day and rested on the couch with one of her books. She was about a third of the way through when she felt a soft pair of lips touch her cheek.

"Hey." Willy said, leaning over the couch and kissing her. Natalie smiled against the kiss and pulled away.

"Hey yourself. You do realize that you're blocking my light." She joked. Willy smiled and moved out of her way, sitting down beside her.

"Any luck today?" She asked, setting her book aside. Willy shook his head.

"you?" he wondered. Nat shook her head.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get it." She said.

"Yeah, you're right." Willy told her. "I was thinking, maybe we could go for a walk later, when Charlie gets home. It's a nice day out and we could use some inspiration."

"That sounds great." Nat smiled. "I think we could all use it."

When Charlie got home from school that day, the others asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. He thought it was a great idea and the three set out, leaving the factory.

It was a beautiful day. The last of the snow was melting away and the young children were making the most of it before spring set in properly. Willy and Natalie walked hand-in-hand as Charlie walked beside them, telling them about his day.

"Charlie! Hey, Charlie!" came a voice from up ahead. Charlie looked and saw a group of his friends calling out and waving him over. He looked up at Willy and Nat expectantly. They smiled and waved him away. Charlie smiled and raced over to his friends.

"I'm so glad he's happy." Natalie said, resting her head against Willy's shoulder.

"Me too." Willy smiled. They walked along the path talking, thinking and just being together…making sure to keep an eye on Charlie too. Natalie looked over to her right and smiled. She saw an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand, the same as she and Willy at that moment. They looked so much in love and looked like the perfect image of the future.

"what are you smiling about?" Willy asked suddenly, pulling Nat out of her little daydream.

"That couple over there." She said, pointing to her right. Willy looked over and smiled.

"Do…do you think we'll be like that someday? You know, still in love even thought we're old and grey?" Natalie asked. Willy smiled and kissed the top of he head.

"Of course we will!" he said. "Although…"

"Although what?" Natalie asked.

"Although I'm going grey already." Willy said, remembering the grey hair he found three years ago, giving him the wonderful idea for the tickets. Natalie just laughed and kissed his cheek.

"I'll still love you if you are." She said as they continued walking.

Charlie waved goodbye to his friends and raced ahead to catch up with Willy and Natalie. He was running so fast that he failed to see the person in front of him…until he ran straight into them, knocking her to the ground.

"Oh I'm so sorry." He said, getting up and holding out his hand.

"That's alright, I should have seen where I was going." The girl said. Charlie looked up and found himself staring into a pair of beautiful green eyes.

"No it was my…my fault."

**A/N: Ooooh, who's this. Lol I though I might add a new character here, but there's just one problem…she doesn't have a name yet! So what I need all my loyal viewers to do is go to my profile and cast your vote in the poll to decide her name from the list I found in a name generator....please hurry so I can write ne next chapter soon!**


	43. Jackie

Charlie extended his hand and helped the girl to her feet. He watched as she dusted the dirt off of her faded jeans.

"Thanks." She said, pushing a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. Charlie blushed as he realized he was still holding her hand.

"Oh, I'm Charlie by the way." Charlie said, shaking her hand. The girl smiled.

'_Wow…what a smile"_ Charlie thought to himself.

"I'm Jaclyn…but everyone calls me Jackie." She said.

"Pleased to meet you." Charlie said. "Sorry again for knocking you down."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm kind of a klutz, anyway. I should have seen you when I turned around." Jackie laughed.

"Well, at least let me make it up to you." Charlie offered.

"What did you have in mind?" Jackie wondered.

"How about…some ice cream?" Charlie suggested. Jackie smiled and nodded.

"Sounds great." She said.

The two walked around for a while talking. Charlie found out that Jackie was originally from the London area but moved away at a young age and had been traveling around with her parents ever since. But now that she was thirteen they believed she needed a bit more stability in her life, so they returned home.

The two passed Willy and Natalie, who looked at the young pair with interest. 'Who's this?' Natalie mouthed to her little brother. 'I'll tell you later' Charlie replied. Natalie nodded and returned her attention to Willy.

"You know, this was a great idea." She said.

"I have been known to have a few of those." Willy joked. Natalie smiled and rested her head against Willy's shoulder.

"Here's another...want to get some ice cream?" he asked.

"You are such a little kid, you know that?" Natalie asked. Willy simply shrugged.

"What? I happen to love ice cream…and I know for a fact that you do too." He said.

"True…you really know me too well, don't you?" Natalie said.

"I'm supposed to aren't I?" Willy laughed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Much to his delight, Charlie and Jackie had a lot in common. They shared a love of chocolate and both had a strong family background and loved their family more than anything. But the best news of all was that Jackie was now attending Charlie's school.

Pretty soon they arrived at the ice cream parlour. Charlie smiled and held the door open as he let Jackie inside first. She thanked him and they made their way to the counter.

"What are you gonna get?" Jackie asked. Charlie surveyed the numerous varieties of ice cream that were available for them.

"Can I get a chocolate, please?" Charlie asked.

"Ooh, that sounds great. Make that two please." Jackie said with a smile. The man behind the counter smiled at the two and handed them their treats. Charlie paid for them and he and Jackie sat down at small table.

"I absolutely love chocolate ice cream." Jackie said. Charlie smiled and nodded in agreement. They sat there and talked for a little while when Charlie heard a familiar voice.

"…I told you it wouldn't work, but no, you had to try it anyway." Natalie said.

"Oh come on. It wasn't that bad." Willy said, closing the door behind them.

"Easy for you to say, you didn't have to peel the gum off their faces." Natalie said. She noticed Charlie sitting there. She smiled subtly and she and Willy went to the counter.

"Oh hey, there's Charlie." Willy said.

"I know…just leave them alone." Natalie said, trying to hide her smile.

"Why?" Willy wondered. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"Just trust me ok?" she asked, looking at the ice creams. Jackie saw Charlie looking in their direction.

"Who's that?" she asked, nodding towards Willy and Natalie.

"Oh, that's my sister." Charlie said. Jackie nodded. It was then that she got a good look at Willy.

"Who's that with her?" she asked.

"Uh, her fiancé." Charlie said.

"He looks familiar." Jackie said. Charlie nodded.

"Uh yeah. He's pretty well known." He said. Jackie looked at him questioningly.

"He's Willy Wonka." Charlie said. Jackie's eyes widened beyond belief.

"…your sister is getting married to _The _Willy Wonka?" she asked. Charlie nodded.

"So you're Charlie Bucket?" Jackie wondered. Again, Charlie nodded. Jackie smiled.

"That's pretty awesome." She said. Charlie smiled. He was a little afraid that she would treat him differently because of who he was.

"You can ask them over, if you want." Jackie said. Charlie smiled and nodded. When he caught Natalie's eyes he waved them over. Nat smiled as Willy paid and they walked over.

"Don't act silly, alright?" Natalie wondered jokingly. Willy smiled and nodded.

"Hey you two." Natalie said.

"Uh, Jackie this is my sister Natalie." Charlie introduced. Natalie smiled and shook the young girl's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Natalie." Jackie smiled.

"You too, Jackie. Oh, this is my fiancé Willy." Natalie said. Jackie turned to Willy and shook his hand.

"Pleased to meet you." He smiled.

"Well, we should probably be getting back." Natalie said. "We'll see you at home, Charlie."

"Ok." Charlie said.

"It was nice to meet you, Jackie. We'll see you around." Willy said.

"Yeah, definitely." Jackie said. The older couple waved and left the store.

"Wow, your sister is really nice." Jackie said.

"Yeah, she is. She's my best friend." Charlie said.

"And Willy seems like I nice guy." Jackie added, finishing off her ice-cream.

"Yeah. I've learnt a lot from him. Plus, he's made my sister really happy." Charlie said.

"I always wished that I had a brother or sister." Jackie said. "Someone else to talk to, apart from my parents, that it."

They sat and talked a little longer before they realized what the time was and Charlie offered to walk Jackie home.

They talked about everything. School, Family, Their dreams and hopes for the future and before they realized it, they had walked back to Jackie's house.

"Thanks for walking me home, Charlie. I had a great time…Thanks for bumping into me." Jackie smiled. Charlie laughed.

"No problem. I should probably be heading back. I'll see you at school?" he wondered. Jackie nodded. The two waved goodbye before Charlie turned and walked back home.

When he arrived he said a quick hello to his mother before going in search of Natalie. He found both she and Willy in the inventing room, still scraping the bubblegum off the machines.

"Nat was right…you should have listened. Then you both wouldn't be peeling that stuff off." Charlie laughed. Natalie glanced at the door and spotted her bother.

"Alright kid, spill." She said. Charlie smiled.

"Well, I was on my over to you guys when I kinda ran into Jackie…literally." He explained.

"You actually ran into her?" Willy asked. Charlie grinned a little and nodded.

"Uhh…Kinda."

"Come on, kid. I'm your sister…I live for this stuff. I need details here!" Charlie shook his head and laughed as he pulled up a chair and told them about Jackie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, after the inventing room was cleaned, Willy collapsed onto the couch. Natalie quickly jumped into the shower and was now getting dressed for bed.

"Jackie seems really nice." Willy said, picking the last of the gum off his fingers.

"Yeah I know. Charlie seems to really like her." Natalie called out. She came out a few minutes later pulling her hair into a messy bun and fell back onto the couch with her fiancé.

"I can believe he _literally _ran into her." Willy laughed. Natalie smiled and nodded, snuggling closer to Willy. After a while of relaxing, Natalie yawned. Willy smiled and shuffled in his seat.

"Come on you," he said. "Time for bed." Natalie laughed and yawned again. They got up and walked over to their bed. Once they were comfortable, Natalie rested her head on Willy's chest and closed her eyes. Willy smiled and kissed her forehead as he pulled the covers up. Within minutes, they were fast asleep.


	44. Sunk in by now

**A/N: hey Everyone! Oh wow...it's been so long since I've updated this story...I'm so sorry about that, but I couldn't come up with a clear idea of what I wanted to write. I ended up scrapping the entire idea I had and went with this, saving the other bit for later on. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please REVIEW, because I'm a little stuck once again with this story...so please help me out!**

Natalie sat comfortably on her grandparents bed with her notebook resting on her lap. Her grandparents were all sitting at the table, with her grandmothers knitting and her grandfathers playing chess, something that they had been doing increasingly often. They heard footsteps and saw Helena coming down the stairs.

"I found some omore photos for you, darling." she said, shuffling some photographs in her hands. Natalie looked up and smiled.

"Thanks Mum." she said, graciously accpeting them. She started looking through them when the front door opened and Charlie walked in after school. Natalie sat up straight and hid the pictures in her notebook away from her brother's eyes.

"Hi everyone." he said, pulling his bag off his back and grabbing his homework before setting the bag down by the door. He walked over and said hello to his grandparents and his mother and sister.

"Have a good day, sweetheart?" Helena asked. Charlie smiled and nodded before sitting down on the bed with his sister.

"Did you walk Jackie home today?" Nat asked with a knowing smile. Everyday after school, he would walk with Jackie to her house, then went to the store to wait for Natalie or just headed home.

"Yeah, she said to say hello." Charlie replied. He opened up his book and started doing his work. After a little while, Charlie looked up.

"I was wondering, if it's alright with you all...and Willy of course, if I invite Jackie over after school next week?" Charlie asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not." Helena said. She had heard a lot about Jackie from both Charlie and Nat, but hadn't been able to meet her just yet. "Although, it is up to Willy, of course." Charlie looked up at Natalie expectantly. Natalie smiled. She could tell that her brother really liked Jackie.

"Sure, I'll ask Willy when he gets home later tonight." she said. Willy had gone over to his father's house for the day. Natalie had to stay behind because she picked up an extra shift at the store that morning. Besides, it gave Willy the oppertunity to spend more one-on-one time with his father. Over the years, the two had continued growing closer than ever.

"I drew up some more ideas for your invitations, Charlie." Natalie said. Charlie smiled. His thirteenth birthday was coming up soon and he had planned a big party with his friends at the park. After he had finished, Noah came home and they all sat down to dinner. When they were done, Charlie had an idea.

"Hey, do we still have that old football?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I think it's upstairs." Helena said. Charlie smiled and turned to his sister. A huge smile plastered on his face. Natalie smiled and closed her notebook.

"Come on, kiddo." she said. Charlie jumped up and raced upstairs. He returned a few minutes later with the ball in his hand. T

"Not to late, guys. It's getting dark." Noah said. The two nodded and made their way outside into the factory grounds.

"Alright, You aim for that gate over there and I'll aim for that one." Charlie said, pointing to a gate at the far ends of the grounds. Natalie nodded her head in agreement. Charlie walked over and placed the ball in the middle of the ground and stepped back a bit. They counted to three and both charged towards the ball.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Willy parked the great glass elevator on the banks of the chocolate river and headed towards the house. He had a wonderful visit with his father and was now looking forward to getting home and spending time with the rest of his family. When he arrived, Helena was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, Noah was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, the grandmothers were _still _knitting and the grandfathers were on another game of chess.

"Checkmate." Grandpa Joe said, making Grandpa George cross his arms in annoyance. Willy laughed and it was then that everyone noticed that he was home.

"Willy, your back." Noah said, folding his paper in half. "How's your father?"

"He's great. He said to say hello to everyone and he'd love to come over for Charlie's brithday." Willy said. He then glanced around the room. "Speaking of Charlie...where is he?" he wondered. As if on cue, Th front door opened again and Charlie and Nat walked in, covered head to toe in mud and slush. The others took one look at them and smiled

"Well, have fun did we?" Grandpa Joe asked. The two looked at each other and smiled, nodding their heads.

"Charlie, go get in the shower and get readyt for bed." Helena laughed. Charlie smiled and raced off to the bathroom. Willy walked over to Nat and gave her a kiss, carefull not to get mud on him.

"Yeah, I might go and get cleaned up too." Nat laughed as she and Willy headed upstairs. As soon as she was back in their room, Natalie raced into the shower and got cleaned up. Willy laughed and sat on the couch. Before long, he heard the water stop running.

"So, have fun playing soccer, I take it?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was great. I haven't played football with Charlie in ages." Nat said from the bathroom. She came out dressed in her pajamas and was in the middle of brushing her hair. She pulled it up into a messy bun and sat down on the couch next to Willy.

"By the way, Charlie was wondering if Jackie could come visit the factory next week." she said. Willy looked at her.

"...No. I don't think so." he said finally. Natalie turned and looked at him in disbeilef.

"What? Why not? I thought you liked her." she said.

"I do. I just don't think she should be visiting the factory." he said. Natalie tried to figure out why he was saying no. He was always saying how much he liked her and thought she was a nice girl. So why was he so againsdt her visiting the factory. Then it hit her.

"Willy, you're not thinking that Jackie's going to try and ruin you, are you?" she asked.

"We have to be careful of who we trust, Natalie." Willy said. "Especially after what happened with Connor." Natalie rolled her eyes at her fiancé.

"You can't judge everyone by one mistake, Willy." She said. "None of us made that mistake on purpose. We didn't know Connor would do something like that." she said. Willy sighed in frustration and got up off the couch before walking over and looking out the window.

"I know but we still cant afford to take another chance like that." Willy said.

"Willy, they're thirteen for crying out loud! Surely you don't think a thirteen year old girl is going to steal your life's work right from under your nose?" Natalie wondered.

"It's happened before." Willy said stubbornly. "And it almost happened again. "

"But it didn't, did it?" Natalie wondered. She was really getting frustrated with him now. "The only time that happened was 17 years ago!" she shouted.

"How can we know that it won't happen again?!I've worked too hard for all of this!" he asked, raising his voice a little. Natalie was a little taken back. She had never really heard him raise his voice before. She was glad that the others were in the hpuse and couldn't hear them fighting.

"That might be so...but you're forgetting one very important detail." Natalie said angrilly.

"What?" Willy asked, in the same tone of voice.

"That it's not just _your_ work anymore! You're not the only one that all of this concerns...certainly it would have sunk in by now!" Natalie shouted before she stormed out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Willy asked.

"I can't stay in here with you at the moment, especially when you're acting like this." Natalie said, slamming the door behind her. She sighed to herself and got in the elevator, before heading down to the house.

Willy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, resting his head in his hands.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I mean I see where he's coming from, Mum. But he just wont listen to me!" Natalie said, resting her head in her hands.

"Don't worry, Love, he'll come around." Helena said. Natalie nodded her head. She had considered sleeping in her old room that night, but she didn't want to be next-door to him, not when she was so angry with him. Besides, she needed the talk with her mother. She finished the last of her coffee and got up from the table.

"I'll see you in the morning." She said, giving her mother a kiss.

"Goodnight, darling." Helena said. Natalie quietly walked up the stairs, careful not to wake the grandparents or her brother. Luckly her parents kept her old bed up there, just in case. She tiptoed over to her bed and got in under the covers. She was about to turn over to sleep when something woke her up.

"Nat?" Charlie whispered.

"Sorry if I woke you up, Charlie. Go back to sleep." Natalie said. Charlie shook his head and propped himself up on his elbow.

"It's ok. I wasn't really asleep. What happened?" he asked. Natalie sighed and propped herself up.

"Let's just say...Willy and I didn't quite see eye to eye on something." she said. "Do you mind sharing your room for tonight?"

"Of course not. Just like old times." Charlie yawned. Natalie smiled.

"Yeah. Just like old times...now go to sleep." she said. Charlie smiled and rested back down on his pillow before he closed his eyes and went to sleep. Natalie sighed and turned over. hopefully things would be alright tomorrow. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.


	45. Pyjama Day

**A/N: Hello Everyone! I am back with another chapter! I'm sorry that it took so long, but I've had a lot going on lately, and I've been stuck on how to end this chapter. So anyways, I've had this chappy in my files for a little bit but couldn't think of a way to end it, so it has just sat there staring at me. Until yesterday, I hurt my back so I've had a couple of days off school and I decided to do some MAJOR updating of my stories. So, Yeah. I would love some help with some of the next chapters. Charlie's birthday is coming up so I need some ideas on what he gets and some info about his party. If you like, I might add some characters as Charlie's friends at his party, so if you wanna be there, just let me know like your name and a little about you and such. Also, please check out my profile for my poll on what story to continue next. I really need some guidance on that one. So Enough babbling...on with the story! ENJOY and please REVIEW!!**

Natalie woke up the next morning, not at all feeling like her usual bubbly self. Instead, she woke up unusually cold and feeling alone. Normally, she would wake up with Willy lying beside her, but not today. She remembered their fight the night before and how she left him upstairs and slept in her old room at the house.

Slowly, she climbed out of bed and walked downstairs to find her family having breakfast. Well...most of her family.

"Morning love." Noah said, smiling at her. Nat mumbled a good morning and sat down next to her brother. Helena brought over a plate fo breakfast.

"How did you sleep?" she asked. Natalie shrugged and took a piece of toast from the plate.

"Alright, I guess." she said. Charlie finished up his breakfast and said goodbye to everyone before he headed off to school for the day.

"Haven't heard anything?" Natalie wonderd quietly, playing with a bit of toast on her plate. Helena and Noah looked at each other sadly.

"No sweetheart, we haven't." Noah said. Natalie nodded her head and went back to playing with her toast. When she was done eating, Natalie collected the plates and cups and walked over to the sink. As she scrubbed and rinsed the dishes, her mind began to wander about.

She thought of different things. Charlie's birthday, the Wedding, but most of all, she thought about Willy. Nobody had seen him since the night before, and Nat couldn't stop her mind from replaying their fight over and over again.

"Don't worry love," her mother said, bringing another plate to the sink. "He'll come around." Natalie gave her mother a small smile, hoping that she was right. After the dishes were cleaned, rinsed and put away. Natalie searched around upstairs for things she could use for Charlie's present. She managed to find a variety of things that would be perfect for the job. She wandered downstairs and set them aside before making a cup of tea for her grandparents.

After a while, Natalie realized that she still needed to get dressed. She had spent the entire morning in her pyjamas and really needed to have a shower and get into some clean clothes. She would have gone earlier, except she wasn't sure if Willy would still be upstairs or not.

"You know you're more than welcome to lounge around here today, darling." Helena said.

"Thanks, but I'm gonna have to go and get dressed at some point." Natalie said, with a small laugh. Helena nodded her head in understanding. Natalie said goodbye to her family and grabbed her stuff before leaving the house in search for the great glass elevator.

Much to Natalie's surprise, the elevator was there waiting on the banks of the chocolate river, meaning one of two things. Either Willy was already up and working away, or he hasn't left the room yet. At that moment, Natalie was almost convinced that it wasn't the latter.

Natalie checked the time. Her assumptions should be correct. Willy would be heading down to the inventing room by now, so she should be able to go in and get changed. She got inside the elevator and headed up to the living quarters. Inside, she couldn't see him anywhere, although, she could hear the shower running in the bathroom.

Sighing to herself, Nat placed her things on the bed and headed towards the closet before she started looking through for something to wear. After a few moments, she heard the bathroom door open and Willy walked out, holding a towel around his waist. Nat looked up and met his eyes.

"Uhhh...hi." he said, a small blush forming on his cheeks. Nat looked at him for a second before turning back to her clothes.

"I'm just getting some clothes." she said. She picked something out and headed towards the door.

"Natalie, wait." Willy said. Natalie turned around and faced him. "Just give me a second to get dressed. I wanna talk to you." he said. Natalie nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed while Willy got dressed. A few moments later he reappeared, fully clothed. Although, Natalie didn't mind how he looked before. She mentally slapped herself for thinking that. She couldn't, she was mad at him. He came over and sat down next to her on the bed. Nat could tell he was thinking of something to say to her. He was wringing his hands, one of the things he did when he was nervous.

"Natalie, I...I'm sorry, for the way I acted last night." he said finally.

"Really?" she asked. Willy nodded his head.

"I overreacted. I said a whole lot of stuff without thinking it through properly." he said. Natalie nodded. Hey, what's right is right.

"Yeah, you did." she said. Willy let his head fall a little. Natalie sighed. "But, I do see where you were coming from."

"You do?" Willy wondered, lifting his head to look at her again. Natalie nodded.

"Willy, I understand that this place is everything to you. It's what you've spent your entire life building and I know you're protective of it. This place is your life." Natalie said.

"You know, up until a few years ago, I would have agreed with you one hundred percent. This place was everything to me. I wouldn't leave or let anyone else in because I was afraid that one tiny thing would ruin my life's work." Willy said. "But that was a long time ago. Since then, I've changed, I've become less scared of something bad happening and have let myself see the better things in life. Like friends, family...and love." he said, his violet eyes meeting hers. Natalie smiled at this sudden confession.

"I was afraid, people were out to get me all those years ago, and it happened again. So I automatically convinced myself that anyone else that I let in, would be trying to do the same thing...no matter who that person was. Even if they were only thirteen years old." Willy said.

"I'm sorry that I overreacted, Natalie. I wasn't fiar to you, or Charlie or Jackie...or even to myself. I just hope that you still wanna marry me after all that." He said, allowing his head to fall once again. Natalie looked up at him, a smile threatening to show on her lips.

"Wait, you think that I wouldn't want to marry you after our fight?" she asked.

"You still want to marry me? Even after what I said?" Willy wondered incredulously. Natalie laughed and nodded.

"Of course I do! Willy, It was one fight. I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later. All couples fight every once in a while." she said.

"They do?" Willy asked. Natalie nodded. Willy grinned shyly. He couldn't beileve that he had been so stupid.

"That is...as long as you still want to marry me." Natalie said. Willy looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Are you crazy?" he said. "Of course I still wanna marry you. I love you." he said. Natalie smiled and higged him.

"I love you too." she said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning Natalie woke up, feeling like her old self again. No longer did she feel alone, or wake up feeling cold. She was glad that yesterday was over. As clichéd as it sounded, she really didn't want to be apart from Willy any longer than needed. She felt someone move beside her. She turned around and came face to face with Willy, smiling at her.

"Good Morning." he said. Natalie smiled and kissed him.

"Morning. What time is it?" she asked, stretching her arms. Willy shrugged and looked at his watch.

"About 10:30." he said casually. Natalie's eyes widened.

"That late?" she asked. Willy nodded. Natalie looked at him. "And you're not working?" she asked. Willy shook his head. Natalie laughed a little. "Are you going to work at all today?" she wondered. Again, Willy shook his head.

"Nope, I thought I could use a little time off." he said, kissing her forehead. "I thought it could just be you and me today." Natalie smiled and the two of them just sat there enjoying each other's company. Both blissfully unaware of anything at was happening outside that one room.

"I honestly can't be bothered getting up, let alone getting dressed." Willy said, stretching his arms. Natalie smiled. That gave her an idea.

"Then don't." she said. Willy looked at her.

"What?" he asked. Natalie smiled and sat indian style on the bed.

"Just stay in your pyjamas all day." she said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"You mean, you've done that before?" Willy wondered. Natalie shrugged and nodded.

"Ok, yeah!" Willy said.

"Really?" Nat wondered. Willy smiled and nodded.

So for the rest of the day, Natalie and Willy stayed in their pyjamas. Natalie finished her sketches for Charlie's birthday invitations, all she needed was for him to approve them and she could set to work making them, Willy realized that there was a little bit of paper work to do, so they sat there in there PJ's finishing everything everything that needed to be done. It was now mid afternoon and Natalie was sitting on the window seat, wokring on Charlie's birthday present.

"Do you really think he's gonna like it?" She asked Willy, motioning to the large leather-bound book that was resting in front of her. She was surrounded by offcuts of paper and various photos and stickers and all sorts.

"Are you kidding? Of course he will like it. He's gonna love it." Willy said. "A scrapbook was the perfect idea." She smiled and looked out the window, and smiled at what she could see.

"Come here, have a look at this." Natalie said, waving Willy over to the window. Willy walked over and looked through the glass. Down by the factory gates were Charlie and Jackie. They both looked so happy, laughing at something one of them said.

"They do look happy together." Willy noted. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"You really should listen to me more often." She said.


	46. Jackie visits the Factory

**A/N: Hello All, I have returned! haha. Sorry It's been a little while since an update, but I've had to become re-focused with my school work. It seems like my stories are taking over my life...not that I'm complaining XD. So, here's the first bit of Jackie's visit to the factory. If you have any ideas about what happens next, or Charlie's upcoming 13th Birthday, or the wedding (which is coming up soon!) Please drop me a like and let me know. Also, I think I'm gonna make Willy's birthday soon... the big 4-0 if my memory serves me well. So I'll need some ideas with that.**

**I would also like to say a big thankyou to all those who voted in my poll. There is still time to post your vote if you haven't, but I will take it down soon and post another that is reevant to one of my other stories. If you haven't already, check out some of my other stuff if you want to :) Anyways, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It all belongs to Roald Dahl. I only own Natalie, Jackie, (also others that are not in this chapter.) and the Plot from Chapter 18 onwards. I also don't own Claire, she is a real person and is one of my most loyal and wonderfull reviewers...THANKS FOR EVERYTHING CLAIRE!! I do wish I owned Johnny Depp though...but who doesn't? XD**

Friday seemed to drag on forever. Classes were draining, well, more so than usual. Everyone just wanted to be out of there and let the weekend begin. Then finally, the last bell rang, telling the students that the end of the day had finally arrived. Jackie Lewis grabbed her books and raced out of the science lab as fast as she could.

"See ya, Jackie!" her friend, Claire called out. Jackie waved and started walking towards her locker. Even after only being at the school a month or so, she had made so many new friends. And it all started when she was knocked to the ground in the park.

Laughing inwardly at the memory, she arrived at her locker and started fumbling with her combination lock, which she believed had a mind of it's own. Today of all days it decided to be stubborn and not open. Jackie sighed in frustration and pushed some of her strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Stupid lock!" she mumbled to herself, slamming her fist against the locker door.

"You know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" a voice behind her said. Jackie jumped a little and smiled when she heard a familiar laugh behind her.

"It's not funny...you know this thing hates me." Jackie mumbled. Charlie shook his head and pulled her hands away from the lock. He entered the code and, as if by magic, it opened.

"Of course, it works instantly for you." she said.

"And you thought it would be a bad idea telling me your combination code." he said. Jackie rolled her eyes and started putting her textbooks away.

"Yeah, but now I know I can trust you." she said. Charlie smiled and waited patiently as she put everything away and grabbed her bag.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Jackie smiled and nodded. She shut the locker door and the two made their way outside. The air was bitter outside, with fresh snow covering the streets since the previous hour or so. The two teens wrapped their coats tightly around them and began their journey home.

"So how's the planning going?" Jackie wondered, kicking snow off her shoe.

"Birthday or Wedding?" Charlie wondered. There was so much to organize at the factory lately, he was amazed that everyone could get their head around it all.

"Both." Jackie laughed.

"Pretty good. They finally set a date for the wedding." Charlie explained.

"About time." Jackie laughed. It had taken Willy and Natalie almost two years to decide a date for their wedding. "When is it?"

"August 14th of next year." Charlie said. Jackie smiled and nodded.

"What about the party?" she wondered.

"Yeah, it's going well." Charlie said. "I've got the invites and everything ready, I just need to figure out where I'm having it."

"What happened to the park?" Jackie asked. Charlie shrugged.

"That's what I thought, but then Nat said to wait a while cause she had another idea...she just won't tell me what it is." he said. Jackie nodded her head in understanding.

They walked down the busy streets, passing people who ust wanted to get home and curl up in front of a fire. Pretty soon, the factory was in view up ahead.

"Race you." Jackie said, nodding towards the factory gates. Charlie looked up ahead and smiled.

"You're on." he laughed. Before he could react, Jackie started running ahead. Charlie laughed and chased after her. It would have been a pretty funny sighed to see the two running up to the factory gates. By the end of their race, neither one of them could tell who won. They both collapsed into a fit of laughter onto the snowy sidewalk. Finally, they got up and looked up at the giant factory before them.

"You ready?" Charlie wondered. Jackie turned to him and smiled brightly, as she nodded her head enthusiastically. Charlie smiled and took her hand as they walked around to the back of the factory. There, he opened a small gate and waited for Jackie to go through.

"We hardly ever use the front gates." he explained. "They're more for show. Besides, it takes way too long for them to open" Jackie smiled and nodded, telling him that she understood. He took her hand once again and they walked around to the front once more. Afterall, it was her first time at the factory, he wanted her to see everything.

Walking up the front steps, Jackie suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. She had always wondered what it was like inside Wonka's chocolate factory, and now she had the chance. She soon pulled away from her thoughts and noticed that they were now standing in a large hallway. She noticed how much warmer it was, compared to the bitter cold outside.

"Gee, sure is warm in here." Jackie said, taking her jacket off. Charlie turned and smiled at her.

"Yeah, it has to be because of the workers." he said. Jackie raised her eyebrow at him.

"Workers?" she asked. Charlie smiled and took her coat, before placing it on the ground with his.

"You'll see." he said. They walked through the hall until they came to the door to the chocolate room. Smiling at her, Charlie opened the door and allowed them both inside. He couldn't help watching her reaction. He had seen it many times before. The look on her face, was complete amazement. He watched her eyes darting around, searching every inch of the room.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"I...it...but..." she stuttered, trying to find the right thing to say. Charlie laughed and walked ahead.

"I know." Jackie managed to snap out of her daze as she caught up with him.

"So this is where you live, huh?" she wondered. Charlie looked around him and nodded.

"Yep. This is home." he said. They walked through the chocolate room, with Charlie pointing pot a few of the major things, or stopping to answer Jackie's questions. Charlie promised to give her a proper tour after they went to the house.

They walked over to the small house that stood in the middle of the room. As they got closer, they could hear voices coming from inside.

_'That's it. I'm taking a break.' _

Charlie laughed. With so much going on lately, it was no wonder that his sister wanted to relax for a little while. He opened the front door and walked inside with Jackie following closely behind him.

"We're home." Charlie said, announcing their arrival. Helena and Natalie were sitting at the kitchen table, a bunch of magazines scattered around them. His grandparents were sitting in bed quietly talking.

"Hey Charlie." Natalie said. She smiled when she saw Jackie standing nervously at his side. "Hey, Jackie. How are you?" she asked. Jackie smiled, thankfull for knowing another familiar face.

"I'm fine, thanks Natalie." she said.

"Mum, this is Jackie." Charlie said, introducing the two. Helena smiled warmly at the young girl.

"Wonderful to finally meet you, Jackie. We've heard so much about you." she said. Jackie instantly felt at ease with the family's warmth and acceptance. She was introduced to the Grandparents before they sat down at the table. Natalie sighed and packed up the magazines, making more room. She then grabbed a book off the table and collapsed on the couch.

"What a day." she sighed.

"What happened?" Charlie wondered, picking up a cookie from the plate that his mother had put on the table.

"Incinerator's broken again. Then we had to fix that hole in the wall from that lot of exploding candy. Then, after Willy went to fix something-or-other down in the inventing room, I came up here and Mum had me looking through wedding magazines." she said, adding an exasperated sigh at the end to stress her point for the fun of it. "So much stress!"

"Don't listen to her kids." Helena said jokingly. "She's just overreacting. The stress of running a factory and planning a wedding is getting to her." she said, motioning with her hands that her daughter was going crazy.

Natalie rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her mother before opening her book and starting to read. Helena shook her head and turned to the other two, who here laughing at the scene before them.

"Jackie dear, would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked. Jackie smiled and turned to Charlie, hoping he wouldn't mind. The boy smiled brightly and nodded his head. Jackie's smile widened as she turned to Helena once more.

"I'd love to, Mrs. Bucket." she said. Helena smiled before turning to her son.

"Charlie, why don't you take Jackie on a proper tour of the factory?" she suggested. Charlie nodded and the two left the house. As soon as the door was shut, Natalie looked up from her book over to her mother.

"Told you so." she laughed.


	47. The Tour

**A/N: Hey all. So sorry it has taken me so long to update this story, but I've had a lot on at the moment. Okay, I really wanted to update this story pretty fast, so this chapter isn't one of my best. It's kinda rushed, but honestly, I didn't really want to go through the whole factory tour again :P So I think this chapter gets everything it needs to across...but I hope you like it still.**

**Next chapter will most likely be Charlie's birthday, cause we're kind of nearing the end of this story, so I need to keep it moving along. Anybody with any suggestions for the party, or even better, the upcoming wedding, let me know :)**

"You family is really nice." Jackie said as she and Charlie walked through the chocolate room. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah. They've had to put up with a lot over the years. But they're amazing." Charlie smiled. Jackie could then see the deep love that Charlie had for his family, and how close they all were.

The two walked by the river bank, with Charlie pointing out everything that he thought Jackie would want to know about. They stopped by the edge of the river where the boat was just about to dock. Charlie smiled as he watched the look on Jackie's face as the Oompa Loompas brought the boat over.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's incredible." Jackie said, completely in shock. "But, who are they?" she asked, pointing to the Oompa Loompas.

"Oh, these are the Oompa Loompas. They work here in the factory." Charlie said. "Guys, this is Jackie. She's...a special friend of mine." Jackie smiled at him as the little men in the boat grinned and waved to her. She waved back, still in shock about the boat, and the little people in front of her.

"Hi." she said. Charlie laughed and took her hand and lead her over to the boat. Helping her inside the boat, they sat down as the boat began to move.

"I probably should have asked this earlier," Charlie said. "But how do you feel about fast boats?"

"Uhh...I don't mind them. Why?" Jackie asked. But Charlie only grinned as they started their journey.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Wow, so this is _the _Inventing room? This is where it all happens?" Jackie wondered as they walked into the room. Charlie smiled and nodded. He was pleased about how the boat ride went. Like his first ride, Jackie loved every minute of it. He had pointed out all the various rooms and what they were used for...with Jackie underatanding the whole 'whipped cream' concept as fast as he did.

"Yeah, this is it." Charlie said. He stood back and watched Jackie survey the room.

"There are so many machines." she said, obviously impressed. "How do you remember what they all do?"

"You get used to it after a while." Charlie shrugged. He noticed her looking at the machine that made the Everlasting Gobstoppers.

"You wanna try it?" he asked. Jackie whipped around and looked at him in shock.

"You mean it?!" she asked hopefully. Charlie laughed and nodded as they both walked up to the machine.

"Alright, press this, then this one, and pull that towards you." he instructed. Jackie nodded and followed his instructions.

"Now, put your hand here." he said. Jackie took her hand and placed it on the lever.

"And all you have to do, is bring it down slowly." Charlie said, placing his hand on hers and gently guiding it. The machine started making noises and flashing lights, but neither one noticed. Jackie turned and looked at him, as if seeing something for the first time. Charlie looked back, a small smile playing on his lips.

A loud '_ding!_' brought the two out of their daze. Charlie quickly removed his hand from hers and motioned for her to follow him. He smiled and held up a small piece of brightly coloured candy.

"There, the first piece of candy you've made." he said. Jackie grinned, proud of her new creation as she took it from his hand.

"Come on, there's still more to see." Charlie said excitedly, leading her out of the room. Jackie couldn't wipe the smile from her face as they continued the tour of the factory. Finally they arrived at the end of the hall where the elevator was parked. After using it so many times with Willy, Charlie always made sure that he was watching where he was going when he went to open the door, so that he wouldn't run into the door. Once they were both inside, Charlie pointed to the vast variety of buttons.

"Where do you wanna go?" he asked.

"Everywhere." Jackie laughed. "I wanna see it all." Charlie laughed and pressed a button. As the elevator started to move, Jackie lost her balance and fell back against him. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes and blushed furiously.

"Sorry." she said, straightening up after a brief moment.

"It's fine." Charlie said. "It took us ages to get used to it." Jackie nodded her head in understanding, but couldn't move the blush from her cheeks. Charlie smiled at her, then something caught his eye. He completely forgot about it.

"Look over there." he said, pointing out the window. Jackie turned around and was amazed at the sight. Thousands of brightly coloured flashes and sparks flew through the air, like fireworks.

"Oh wow." she said. "What is it?"

"Exploding Candy." Charlie said simply.

"Exploding...this is just incredible." Jackie said. She turned her attention back to the candy that was flying through the air, right past the elevator. Charlie couldn't help noticing how she looked in the light. But before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie was sitting indian style on the floor in Charlie's room, surrounded by photos. She was sorting where to place each picture when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Quickly, she gathered up all the photos and shoved them into the pages of the book and hid it under the bed. The footsteps grew closer and closer until she saw Willy appear at the stairs. Natalie sighed in relief and pulled the book out from under the bed.

"God, I thought you were Charlie." she said. Willy smiled and shook his head.

"Uhh, no. He's still giving Jackie a tour." he said. Natalie smiled knowingly and set back to work.

"Oh, I did have something I wanted to ask you." she said.

"You did?" Willy asked. Natalie nodded.

"About Charlie's birthday."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The two teens arrived back in the Chocolate room and decided to walk around of a little while before they headed back to the house. They were just walking around, talking about everything. Charlie stopped for a moment and when Jackie was about to ask what he was doing when a beautiful pink flower was held out in front of her.

"It's beautiful." she said, graciously accepting it.

"It's a candy flower." Charlie said.

"A candy flower?" Jackie wondered. Charlie nodded.

"Try it." he said. Jackie looked at him as if he was crazy. But then again, she was in Wonka's Chocolate Factory, and she had seen things today that she never dreamed possible. She smiled at him and bit into the flower.

"It tastes like strawberry." she smiled. They continued walking for a little while before sitting by the banks of the chocolate river.

"This place is absolutely incredible, Charlie." she said. "I'm honored that you let me see it."

"I'm glad you like it." Charlie smiled. It was only then that they both realized how close they were. Charlie reached forward and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jackie blushed as they both slowly leaned in towards each other...

"_Charlie! Time for dinner!"_ came Willy's voice over the walkie talkie. The two sprang apart instantly. Charlie sighed as he moved the device from his pocket. He could hear his sister's voice on the other end.

_You don't just randcomly buzz him and ask them to come back!_

"We're on our way." Charlie said. Jackie laughed a little at his reaction. Charlie got up and extended his hand to her, helping her up as the two of them headed back to the house.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, Charlie took Jackie home as usual, only this time, they took the elevator. They arrived outside her house and walked through the snow up to her front door.

"Thanks again for a great day, Charlie." Jackie said. Charlie smiled and shoved his fists deeper into his pockets.

"No problem. So, I'll see you at school?" he asked. Jackie nodded and waved goodbye. Charlie waved back and started heading towards the elevator when he was stopped.

"Charlie?" Jackie's voice called out. He turned around to face her and was surprised when she walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight." she said before running back and disappearing behind her door. Charlie stood still for a moment, wondering if that had really happened. He walked back to the elevator, still with a huge smile on his face. He was completely out of it...and failed to realize that he had parked the elevator a lot closer than he first thought. He didn't realize how close until he fell back onto the snow with a thud.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Now, are you one hundred percent sure about this?" Natalie wondered. She was sitting at the kitchen table with Willy after dinner. Her parents were doing the dishes and her grandparents were resting.

"I'm sure." Willy said. Natalie smiled and leaned over the table to kiss him. She pulled away just as the front door opened and her little brother walked in running his forehead.

"What happened to you?" Willy asked.

"Ran into the elevator." Charlie replied. Willy and Nat looked at each other before laughing. Charlie rolled his eyes before joining them at the table.

"Anyway," Willy started. "We've been meaning to talk to you about your party."

"Really?" Charlie asked. The two nodded.

"I know you were thinking about having it at the park...but we've come up with a better solution." Natalie said.

"What is it?" The young boy wondered.

"Why don't you have it here." Willy said. Charlie's eyes widened. He knew how Willy felt about letting people into the factory. It was even a long shot that he'd let Jackie in, let alone the rest of his friends.

"You mean it?!" he asked excitedly. Willy nodded.

"Yeah, you can use the ballroom if you want. It's only been used once before." he said, looking at Natalie. Nat smiled and glanced down at her ring, still sparking on her left hand.

"Thank you so much." Charlie said, jumping out of his seat and hugging the two.


	48. Happy Birthday Charlie

**A/N: Hey everyone!! Welcome to the first update for 2010!!! I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very, very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great time and had some fun...I know I did :)**

**Okay, I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner. I went away so many times over Christmas/New Year...I was hardly home at all and I couldn't get internet access in certain places, so I apologise. Also, I'm now in my second last year of school and have a lot of homework to do before school starts.**

**WARNING: Just so you know, I do not condone anyone inhaling helium. It is bad for you and destroys your brain. However, it is extremely funny [very wrong but funny], so let's pretend that it isn't dangerous so I can use it in here.**

**Disclaimer: [about time for another] I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or any of its characters. I do own Natalie, Jackie, and the boys at Charlie's party. I don't own Tash, Claire, Jamie or Lee Ann, cause they are my loyal and fantastic readers.**

**I also don't own the song **_**Annie's Song, **_**either or the idea of the helium/singing scene.**

**Anyways, this chapter isn't exactly how I wanted it to be, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway :) **

_January 21st, 2007_

As Willy left the bathroom that morning, he couldn't help but smile at the sight he saw. Natalie was still in bed, fast asleep. Her brown curls lay scattered across her stood in the doorway with his arms folded. Even after four years of being together, he still couldn't believe how lucky he had been. Smiling to himself, he walked over to their bed. He bent down and picked up a book that lay open on the floor.

_'Nat must have fallen asleep reading it last night.'_ Willy thought to himself.

He flipped the book over and read the title; '_The Time Traveller's Wife'. _Another one of Natalie's romance novels. Although, he couldn't complain. During the time he had known her, Natalie had introduced him to some wonderful books.

Silently, Willy placed the book on the bedside table and gently sat down on the bed, careful not to wake her up. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have someone as beautiful as her in his life, and in a little more than a year, she would finally become his wife.

Willy checked his watch. It was getting late and they needed to get downstairs. He pulled a stray piece of hair out of her eyes as he gently tried to wake her up.

"Good Morning Star shine. The earth says hello." he whispered in her ear. Natalie groaned and scrunched up her face. Willy couldn't help but smile. She really did look cute like that.

"No, not good morning...still sleep time." she mumbled. Willy sighed.

"Come on, Honey. It's time to wake up." he said.

"No." she mumbled sleepily as she buried her face deeper into her pillow. Willy chuckled as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Yes, you have to get up." he said. Natalie shook her head as she covered her face with the covers. Willy sighed and got up, having one last trick up his sleeve to wake her up.

"Okay then. If you want me to go wake Charlie up for his birthday." he said, heading towards the door. Instantly, Natalie was awake.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" she said, sitting up. Willy laughed as she jumped out of bed and grabbed a wrapped parcel from under the bed. She didn't even bother getting dressed before heading to the door. She was about to head out to the elevator when she thought of something.

"You were watching me again, weren't you?" she asked, turning to face Willy. The Chocolatier looked at her with a look of mock horror as he held his hands up in defence.

"Me? No I wasn't." he lied. Natalie simply rolled her eyes and headed out the door. Willy smiled and followed her out to the elevator.

Down at the house, everyone was already up and awake, waiting for the other two to come down and wake up Charlie, with the exception of Noah who couldn't be seen anywhere. The Grandparents were all sitting up in bed and Helena was putting the finishing touches on Charlie's birthday cake. When the couple finally got there, Natalie said a quick hello to her family before heading upstairs. Willy sighed and sat down at the table.

"Hard time waking her up?" Grandpa Joe wondered. Willy chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah." he said. "I had to remind her that it was Charlie's birthday for her to get up." The others had a good laugh as the door opened and both Noah and Wilbur joined the others.

"Ahh, you finally woke her up, I see." Noah laughed as he and Wilbur sat down at the table.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Natalie reached the top of the stairs, she smiled when she saw her little brother sound asleep in his bed. Well, he wasn't so little anymore. As of today, he was thirteen. How did time get away from her so fast?

It was only a little while ago that she would look after him while her parents were out. She would put him in the stroller and take him down the street or to the store. He would be waiting for her to come home from school so she could take him to the park and play on the playground.

On his days off school, Charlie would come down to the store and Jimmy would let him help out behind the counter, or just sit up on the seat and help people decide on what to buy. Natalie would sing to him when he couldn't sleep or when he was sick, they'd put on shows with puppets that they made from old socks and other things that their Grandmothers made for them. Thirteen years goes by fast…too fast for Natalie's liking.

Silently, she walked over to her brother's bed and sat down next to him. She rested her head on the pillow beside him as she gently shook him awake.

"Charlie…wake up." She whispered. No reaction. Natalie grinned and flicked his nose gently.

"Ouch! Hey!" he said, slowly opening his eyes. He smiled when he realised it was his sister.

"Hey you." Nat said. "Happy Birthday."

"What's with the subtle wake-up call?" Charlie wondered. "No jumping on the bed or tickling me?" Natalie shook her head.

"No, I thought you'd be getting a little too old for that." She said. Charlie smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm actually gonna miss it." He said. Natalie threw him an unbelieving look.

"Well…most of it." Charlie corrected himself. Natalie smiled and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"My baby brother's thirteen." She said wistfully. "God that makes me feel old." Charlie laughed.

"I'm still your little brother, Nat." he said. Natalie grinned and kissed the top of his head.

"Good to know." she said. Charlie smiled back at her. He then looked at the door and sighed.

"Is everyone up?" he wondered.

"Yep."

"And their waiting for us to get downstairs?" he asked.

"Yep"

"And there's definitely no way I can stay in bed all day?" he wondered hopefully.

"Nope." Nat grinned. Charlie sighed and threw the covers back. Natalie smiled and pulled him up.

"Now you're starting to sound like a teenager." she said. Charlie smiled as they headed towards the door. Just before they reached the ladder, he stopped.

"Hey Nat?" he wondered. His sister turned around to face him.

"Yeah?" she asked. Charlie rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Would you mind if we held on to our tradition a little longer?" he wondered. "I'm really not used to the idea of growing up yet."

"How long are we talking?" Natalie wondered. Charlie shrugged.

"Oh, three...maybe four years?" he wondered. "I don't think I'm getting too old for it." Nat laughed and nodded as they made their way downstairs.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLIE!" everyone chorused as the two Bucket's made their way downstairs. Charlie smiled and went to hug his family.

"Happy Birthday, Darling." Helena said as she hugged her son tightly. Before Natalie stood to the side and watched happily as her brother was passed around the room, receiving birthday wishes from everyone.

She couldn't help but smile when he hugged Wilbur, both with huge grins on their faces. The elder Wonka, who had lived on his own for so long, really did like having a child around again...well, a young adult now, anyway.

"You okay?" Willy wondered, suddenly appearing at Natalie's side. She nodded her head and rested back against his as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm okay." she said.

Once Charlie had gotten around to everyone, everyone sat down at the table for breakfast. Natalie helped her mother bring over all kinds of delicious things that she had made for them all. Plates of pancakes and croissants and all kinds of wonderful breakfast treats in honour of Charlie's birthday.

"A toast," Willy said, raising his glass of juice above his head. "To Charlie...Happy Birthday, little brother." Charlie beamed as Willy made his speech. After being in the family for so long, both Willy and Charlie now felt themselves to be brothers, and called each other so.

"Happy Birthday Charlie." the others said, charging their glasses.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Well, I guess there's one present left." Noah said, looking at Natalie. The young woman smiled and reached under the table, bringing out a wrapped parcel.

"Here, it's from the both of us." she said as Willy took the present off her and handed it to Charlie. The young boy smiled and graciously accepted the parcel and began unwrapping it.

Charlie threw the wrapping paper to the floor as he held the large leather book in his hands. As he opened it, his eyes widened as he realized what it was. He smiled as he looked at all the different photos and reminders, reliving each memory. He looked up at his sister and Willy and smiled.

"I love it...thank you so much." he said. Nat smiled at her little brother as Helena brought the cake over to the table.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was now a couple of hours until the party, and everyone was scattered around doing what they had to do before everyone arrived.

Willy and Charlie were in the ballroom, surrounded by balloons and a helium tank. Helena had given them the job of filling them up in time for the party.

As he was tying a balloon, Charlie had an idea. He let it go slightly and sucked in some of the helium inside.

"Wow...this is cool!" he said in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. Willy turned to face him.

"How did you do that?" he wondered.

"The helium inside makes your voice higher." Charlie explained. Willy contemplated this for a moment before deciding to find it himself. Within seconds, his voice was as high as Charlie's.

"Wow...that is cool." He agreed. Charlie smiled and let the balloon go, sending it flying across the room as he inhaled some from the tank.

Pretty soon, the two were laughing away, laughing at everything the others were saying.

"Will you both knock it off?" Grandpa George said as he and Grandpa Joe entered the room. The two looked up straight away and let go of the balloons they were holding.

"Yes, sir." Charlie said, saluting his grandfather in a high pitched voice. The elder two rolled their eyes.

"Charlie, your mother says you have to go get ready now. And Willy, she asked for your help in the kitchen." Joe said.

"What about the balloons?" Willy wondered, his voice now back to normal.

"We'll take care of it." Joe said. "No go on."

So Charlie and Willy left them to the balloons while Charlie headed to his room and Willy headed to the kitchen.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie had been relaxing upstairs for a while and was heading down to the house. When she got there, she went to see if her mother needed any help in the kitchen. But she had already roped Willy, her father and Wilbur into helping. Deciding that there wasn't much else she could do, Nat headed upstairs to check on her brother.

As she reached the top step, she saw her brother staring at his reflection in his mirror. He was wearing a

"Well, look at you." She said, leaning in the doorway. Charlie looked at her and smiled quickly before turning his attention back to the mirror. Nat then noticed that he seemed to be fussing about his hair. Laughing to herself quietly, she walked over to him.

"Look at me." She said. Charlie turned to look at her, hoping silently that she could help him. After a moment or so thinking, Nat messed his hair, giving it a really cool style.

"There you go." She said. The boy smiled brightly as he saw what she had done. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Nat." He said. Nat grinned.

"I think she'll be very impressed." She said knowingly.

"You think so?" Charlie wondered, before he realized what he had said. Natalie couldn't help but giggle a little bit.

"Yes." She said, kissing his cheek. "I'll gonna go check on things downstairs."

"Okay." Charlie said. Natalie smiled as she walked back downstairs.

"Nat, you and Willy better go get ready." Noah said as Natalie made her way into the kitchen.

"Alright, we'll be back soon." She said.

"Oh and can you head to the ballroom and tell your grandfathers to come back?" Helena wondered. The brunette nodded her head and she and her fiancé left the house.

The two headed to the elevator that was parked by the river and headed towards the ballroom. As they left the elevator, a strange sound could be heard from inside.

As the two arrived, they walked in and saw both George and Joe singing in extremely high pitched voices.

_You fill up my senses  
like a night in the forest  
like the mountains in springtime,  
like a walk in the rain  
like a storm in the desert,  
like a sleepy blue ocean  
you fill up my senses,  
come fill me again._

"Nice job." Natalie said as they finished. Both her Grandfathers turned a little pink when they noticed that they had been sprung.

"Mum wants you in the kitchen." She said. The two nodded and left the room. Nat and Willy shook their heads as they headed upstairs to get ready.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Finally, the time had arrived. Most of Charlie's friends had arrived and were down in the ballroom with him. It might have seemed like a huge place for about ten teenagers, but it actually worked out pretty well. And of course, the adults were set up with a table outside on the balcony.

There were tables set up with all kinds of food and drinks. Helena had spent so much time in the kitchen, preparing the food and cake in time for her son's party. Noah and Wilbur had set up a sound system and speakers so that the kids could have music.

Charlie was talking with a couple of his friends, Max and Rhys as he scanned the room. He saw his friends Claire and Tash talking by the present table. The twins, Jamie and Lee Ann were over by the music, deciding what to listen to. And Aden and Lucas were checking out the food table.

But there was still one person to arrive. Someone that he had wanted to see since he woke up.

The adults were sitting outside on the balcony enjoying the day. Although Charlie said that he didn't mind them being at the party, they thought it would be better if they left them alone.

Natalie was talking with Willy and Wilbur when an Oompa Loompa walked over to them and signed a message. She smiled and excused herself from the group and walked out to the main hallway.

A few moments later, Natalie returned with someone by her side. Charlie looked up and was in complete awe. Jackie was wearing a light blue dress, ending just below her knees. Her strawberry blonde hair was hanging in curls down her back with a braid across the top (A/N: Hard to explain.)

Charlie excused himself from the guys and walked over to greet her. After sending her brother a wink, Natalie headed back outside to join the other adults.

"Hey." Charlie said, pulling her into a friendly hug.

"Hey." Jackie replied. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." Charlie said. Jackie smiled, and then realized something.

"Oh, here. This is for you." She said, holding out a wrapped gift for him. Charlie smiled and accepted it.

"Thanks." He said. "Come on, everyone's here." He shyly held out his hand for her. Jackie blushed a little and took it before they made their way over to their friends. The others said their hellos before the music was turned up and the party officially began.

Meanwhile, both Willy and Natalie had been watching the scene unfold between their little brother and the girl he liked. Natalie smiled happily as she watched them head over to the others.

"Ahh, young love." She said. Willy smiled and replied by kissing her hand lovingly. Natalie smiled as they resumed their conversation with their family.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The kids had a great time. There were lots of dancing and laughing and so many different kinds of games. They played twister, dance competitions, and heaps more. Although the funniest was when Lucas suggested they split into teams and build a pyramid.

The guys were almost about to win when Helena came in and told them that it was time for cake. Their heads picked up at the word and caused them to lose balance and fall to the ground.

The girls cheered victoriously as the adults came in to sing Happy Birthday.

Helena came back a few moments later with a beautiful cake that she had made. Everyone gathered around the table as the lights were dimmed and the cake was set in front of Charlie.

_Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Charlie. Happy birthday to you._

Everyone cheered as Charlie blew out the candles on his birthday cake, making a wish. His father handed him a knife so that he could cut it up.

"Don't forget that you have to kiss the nearest girl if you touch the bottom." Claire said jokingly. Charlie smiled and checked to see who was next to him. Much to his delight, he saw that Jackie was probably the closest.

Getting back to the real world, Charlie cut the cake, and touched the bottom. A round of _ooooohh's _followed as he turned to face Jackie.

The blonde grinned as Charlie gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Of course, all his mates made a big deal out of it...but neither one of them cared.

Helena cut up the rest of the cake while the party continued with everyone dancing and having lost of fun.

"Wanna dance?" Charlie asked. Jackie looked up at him and smiled, nodding her head. He took her hand and led her over to where the others were dancing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Thanks for inviting us, Charlie." Jamie said as everyone was preparing to leave.

"No problem." Charlie smiled. "Thanks for coming."

He said goodbye to his friends and waved as they left the factory. Back inside, his family and Jackie were tidying up the ballroom. Everyone was exhausted by the time they were done.

"Well, I best be off." Wilbur said. "Thank you so much for inviting me today, Charlie."

"I'm glad you could make it." Charlie said as he hugged him.

"I'll see you all soon. It was lovely to meet you, Jackie." Wilbur said.

"You too Mr. Wonka." Jackie said politely. Wilbur said goodbye to everyone he walked with Natalie and Willy to the door before his son took him home in the elevator.

"Mum, I'll be back soon. I'm just going to walk Jackie home." Charlie said.

"Alright dear." Helena said. "See you soon, Jackie."

"Absolutely, Mrs. Bucket. Thank you all for having me." Jackie said. She and Charlie grabbed their coats before heading outside.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, did you have a good birthday?" Jackie wondered as they walked home. Charlie smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it was great." He said. Pretty soon they arrived at Jackie's house.

"Thanks again, Charlie." She said. "I'll see you soon." Charlie nodded his head. Jackie smiled and kissed his cheek before heading down the path to her house.

Charlie Bucket walked home, yet again in a daze. He had the most brilliant birthday of his life. His life was definitely getting sweeter.

**A/N2: There we go, I hope you all liked it. I'm sorry that I skipped most of the party, but I really wanted to get the chapter out and I'm really focused on homework at the moment and I think I'm getting sick too.**

**One more thing, please let me know if you want any more cute moments between Charlie and Jackie. Cause I'm kinda stuck on ideas for them. Review and let me know :)**


	49. Finally

**A/N: Hey everyone! Here's another chapter for you all. **

**I have great news. I was planning on tying up this story pretty soon, but I'm having too much fun writing it, and also, so many people seem to love it. So thank you all so much for your faves, alerts and reviews [my fave :P ]. They all mean so much to me to know that my work is appreciated. So in other words, the story will continue for a while *APPLAUDE HERE***

**Also, I have a kind of sequel planned for when it does finish. Because, without giving too much away, the ending may or may not leave a few unanswered questions...WAIT AND SEE!**

**Anyways, I went and saw the new **_**Alice in Wonderland **_**movie today...AND LOVED IT! Although, I wished the ending was a little different. For those who have seen it, you will know what I mean. For those who haven't...GO SEE IT! My love for Johnny Depp has skyrocketed even higher [if that's possible] after seeing him as the Mad Hatter. So, yeah I've included it in the story :) I know it wasn't released back then [the story by my calculations is now in 2008 or so] but who cares.**

**Remember to let me know any ideas or suggestions...I need more! The more I get, the sooner I can write and post! It's fantastic to know that people love my work, but a review does help a lot more. I don't want to sound pushy or ungrateful, but even just a note saying 'loved it' or a helpful idea or suggestion will really make my day and make the story better**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or any of the characters. I only own Natalie Bucket, Jackie Lewis and the plot basically after chapter 17. I also don't own Alice in Wonderland...or sadly, Johnny Depp.**

Months had passed and everything was going wonderfully for our favourite family. Willy and Charlie had been brainstorming new ideas and were working on releasing a new candy some time soon. The only problem was...they had no idea what to call it.

Natalie had managed to get Jackie a job at the store and was teaching her the ropes around the place, hoping that she would take over after she left. The two were now growing closer each day, and now cared for each other like sisters.

Charlie and Jackie had grown much closer over the past months, with new feelings growing between them both. Every day, Charlie kept convincing himself that it would be the day to do something about it...then changed his mind the next minute, telling himself that it would be better tomorrow. This was something that didn't go unnoticed by a certain older sister and future brother-in-law.

Helena and Noah celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in March. Both still in love as the day they met. At first they didn't want to make a fuss out of it. But the others insisted and left the couple alone for the day before making reservations for them at a romantic Italian restaurant just outside of town.

Willy and Natalie now dedicated every spare moment to wedding planning. Natalie had drawn up some ideas for her dress, while Willy was planning on where they were going to have it. After much deliberation and discussion, they decided to have it at the factory.

Charlie was absolutely thrilled when Willy had asked him to be his best man, with Willy insisting that there was nobody he would rather ask. So it was decided that he would stand at the altar with Willy and his father.

It was now almost June. Natalie was now leaning against her locker in the back room of the store, watching Jackie as she served costumers. She had one major decision to make, and she had to make it fast; who would be her maid of honour?

At first she considered her mother, but Helena convinced her to choose someone else. When she was younger, she and her best friend used to talk about their weddings all the time. No, not Connor, her other best friend, Alice.

Natalie and Alice had been friends since the first day of school and spent every minute together until a year or so after they graduated, when Alice moved away. She last saw her at her wedding six years before. The last thing she heard was that she was living in Greece with her husband, Tim. It seemed as though Natalie was the only one who decided to stay in London.

As she watched the young girl serve the last costumer, she suddenly had an idea. She mentally kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner. Natalie walked over to the counter just as Jackie was finishing serving.

"Thankyou, have a nice day." She smiled as the man left the shop. She sighed and turned to her mentor.

"How am I doing?" she asked, playing with a random pencil on the counter. Natalie smiled.

"You're doing great." She said. "But why don't we go take a break?" Jackie nodded her head. She put the pencil in her ponytail and started untying her apron. Natalie went and told Jimmy what they were leaving, grabbed her purse and the two left the store.

They made their way down to little cafe on the corner of Cherry St and Martin Ave. Natalie ordered then both a hot chocolate and they sat down for a break.

"Those dress designs you showed me were fantastic, Nat." Jackie said. "You're going to look so beautiful." Natalie smiled.

"Thanks." She said. "But, I don't know. There's something missing."

"What do you mean?" Jackie wondered.

"I don't know. I love the design, but it just seems to be missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it." Natalie said.

"Mind if I take another look?" the younger girl asked. Natalie nodded her head and pulled out a couple of sketches out of her bag. Jackie took them and had a look. They were absolutely beautiful, there was no denying that. But Natalie was right, they were missing something.

"That's my favourite." Natalie said, pointing to the middle sketch. It was a beautiful strapless white dress, flowing to the ground. Ideas bounced around in Jackie's head. Suddenly, she came up with something.

"Can I try something?" she asked. Nat gestured for her to go ahead. Pulling the pencil out of her hair, Jackie started sketching away. After a minute or two, she returned the pencil to her hair and looked at her friend.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made a little adjustment." She said, handing over the sketches. Natalie took a look at them and smiled. Instead of the pure white, Jackie had added purple around the top of the dress, and changed the colour of the slight train in the back.

"That's it!" Natalie cried happily. "That's what it's been missing: And it's the perfect colour too!"

"Lucky it was a purple pencil I picked up, huh?" Jackie wondered. Nat nodded her head.

"Thanks Jackie, I love it." She said. She put the sketches back into her bag before turning to the other girl once more.

"There was something that I wanted to ask you." She said.

"Oh?" Jackie asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you would do me a huge favour." Nat said. Jackie smiled.

"Nat, you've all done so much for me, of course I'll help. What do you need?" she asked. Natalie looked at her coffee cup before looking up at the younger girl.

"Will you be my maid of honour at my wedding?" she asked. Jackie's eyes went wide.

"You want _me _to be your maid of honour?" she asked incredulously. Natalie smiled and nodded her head.

"Of course." She laughed. "You're like my little sister, Jac."

"Of course!" Jackie said. "I mean, are you sure though? Not that I'm not honoured that you would ask me. What about your friends from school?"

"I don't see any of them, well, aside from the whole Conner incident. My best friend Alice and I always said we would be each others maid of honour. I last saw her at her wedding six years ago." Natalie said. Jackie could see that Natalie missed her friends. She couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Of course I will." She smiled. Nat looked up at her and smiled. She pulled Jackie into a hug before they grabbed their drinks and headed back to work. As they walked, they passed the movie theatre.

"Oh, Alice in Wonderland!" Jackie said happily, looking at the poster. "I really want to see that." Natalie nodded her head.

"Yeah, me too. It's always been one of my favourites." She said.

"Really?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah. Alice and I would make believe when we were younger that we lived it our own Wonderland." Natalie said.

"The Mad Hatter was always my favourite." Jackie said, smiling at the poster of Johnny Depp that adorned the wall outside the theatre. Natalie giggled and nodded.

"Me too. I had always hoped to find my very own Hatter." She said. Jackie couldn't help but smile.

"I think you already have." She said. Natalie smiled.

"Yeah. Well, he is defiantly mad, that's for sure." She laughed. "And he loves his hat. But yeah, I do love him." She said.

"I just hope I'll be that lucky some day." Jackie sighed. Nat grinned and pulled the girl close.

"You will, trust me." She said. "Your hatter might be closer than you think."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Charlie was in the chocolate room pacing. Willy had taken the elevator to go and run a few errands and Natalie and Jackie would be home from work soon. But he couldn't worry about any of that. He had a bigger problem on his hands. He had decided that he was going to do something about Jackie. He had to. He knew that if he didn't do something about it now, he would always chicken out.

'_Boy, being a teenager is hard.'_ He thought to himself. At that moment, the door to the chocolate room opened and Natalie and Jackie walked in laughing.

"Hey Charlie." Natalie said. Charlie smiled and waved to the two. Nat noticed that he was looking a little nervous, and suddenly picked up on what he was planning. "I'm gonna head on up to the house." She said. Jackie nodded and went and picked a candy flower a few steps away. Nat winked at her little brother before heading inside.

"So, how's work going?" Charlie asked.

"Really good." Jackie said. "Nat said I'm doing a great job." She sat down by the river bank and closed her eyes as she stretched out on the grass. After a few moments, her eyes opened again.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" she wondered. Charlie smiled and sat down beside her.

"Natalie asked me to be her maid of honour." She said.

"Really?" Charlie wondered. Jackie nodded.

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it." She said. The two sat there for a while, sometimes in silence, sometimes they talked. Suddenly, Jackie had a thought.

"I'm curious, does she still talk with her old friends?" she asked. Charlie sighed and shook his head.

"She used to keep in touch with Alice and Tim. But since their wedding, I don't think so." He said. Jackie nodded her head in understanding.

"Do you know where they live?" she wondered.

"Skopelos, if I remember right. They always wanted to live in Greece." Charlie said. Jackie sat deep in thought for a moment.

"Why don't we contact them?" She said out of the blue. Charlie looked at her.

"What?" he asked. Jackie sat up so she was leaning on her elbow.

"Why not?" she said. "I mean, I know Natalie would love it." Charlie was silent as he thought it over. He knew how much his sister missed her friends. There was really nothing to lose; either they got in touch with Alice and Tim or they didn't.

"Okay, let's go for it." He smiled. Jackie smiled as she rested back onto the grass. Charlie couldn't help but smile back. He knew that it had to be now.

"Uhh...Jac?" Charlie asked. Jackie looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"I uhh well..."

"You okay?" she asked. Charlie nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah. Umm...Do...Do you wanna go catch a movie tomorrow night?" he asked. Jackie sat up and looked at him in shock.

"Really?" she asked. Charlie nodded his head. Jackie smiled as her mind suddenly went back to what Natalie was saying earlier.

"_Your hatter might be closer than you think."_

"I'd love to." She said. Charlie looked at her in disbelief.

"Really?" Jackie giggled and nodded.

"Yeah. Alice in Wonderland opens tomorrow if you want to go." She said. Charlie smiled brightly.

"Sounds great." He said. After a while, they decided it was time to head over to the house. Charlie got up and held out his hand. Jackie smiled and took it and the two walked over to the house.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie and Helena were sitting at the table going over the new and improved sketches that Jackie had made, when the two teens came inside.

"Oh, there you are." Helena smiled. "The grandmothers made a cake today, you hungry?"

"I'd love some, thanks Mrs. Bucket." Jackie smiled. Helena smiled and looked at her son for his answer. Charlie nodded his head in response.

"Natalie, what about you?" she asked. Nat was about to reply when she noticed her brother and Jackie holding hands. She couldn't help smiling at the sight; he had finally managed to ask her.

"Nat?"

"Love some, thanks Mum." She said. With a subtle wink at the two young ones, Natalie went back to her sketches. Helena brought cake around to everyone before sitting down once again with her daughter.

A few moments later, the door opened and Willy came inside. Helena and Nat scrambled to hide the pages from his view.

"Hi everyone." He said. Everyone said their various hellos as he shrugged his coat off and walked in out of the doorway. He walked over to the table just as Natalie had a messy pile of papers in her hands.

"Hi." He said, bending down and kissing her lips gently. When they parted he handed her a beautiful bunch of blue freesias.

"What's this for?" Natalie asked. Willy shrugged his shoulders.

"Cause I felt like it." He said. Natalie grinned and kissed him once again.

"What's this?" he asked, gesturing to the papers.

"Dress designs, meaning you can't see." She said teasingly. Willy sighed.

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." He said before sulking off to the kitchen. Natalie rolled her eyes before getting up from the table and following him.

"Alice in Wonderland comes out tomorrow." She said, sidestepping him to reach a vase out of the top cupboard.

"We should go see it." Willy said, finishing off his piece of cake.

"Really?" Nat wondered. Willy nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "I don't think we're doing anything tomorrow...how about tomorrow?" Natalie shook her head. Willy looked at her confused. Silently, she nodded towards her brother and Jackie, who were sitting at the table talking quietly. Willy's eyes widened and he looked back at her.

"Finally?" he whispered. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"Finally."


	50. The Date, the Fight and the Promise

**A/N: Hi all! OH MY GOODNESS.... CHAPTER 50! First of all, I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU! To everyone who has read, reviewed and followed this story from the start. I honestly never believed that this story would make it this far, but it's all because of you guys...You guys are total rockstars, I hope you know that. 215 reviews...it just makes me sooo happy to know that what I write is being enjoyed by so many people. If you like, check out some of my other stuff.**

**Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to the lovely ****AuroraandRosalieWannabe as my belated birthday present to her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Also, I send her 20 Wonka bars and hopes she enjoys her day xoxo**

**Alright, this chapter will alternate between Jackie and Charlie's date, and scenes between Natalie and her family, Willy and Wilbur, and Natalie and Willy, so I hope you don't get confused. I'll be using my little " oOoOoOoOoOo" symbol when there's a scene change.**

**As for the date, please keep in mind that Jackie and Charlie are very mature for their age, so even if they seem a little young for a date like this...who cares?! It's young love :P Also, there will be a few references to the new Tim Burton movie **_**Alice in Wonderland**_**, so if you haven't seen it [first of all, shame of you] but please be warned. **

**Okay, so Willy's 40****th**** Birthday will be coming up soon, and I need some ideas for that. Also some ideas about Alice and Tim, if you guys would like to see them come back to see Natalie, let me know. So please, REVIEW and let me know about anything. Okay, on with the story :) **

In some relationships, there is the side you usually see, and the side you don't. This is usually the case when there is something going on that said couple wants to keep hidden from the public eye, be it a secret, happiness or a fight. No matter how strong or loving a relationship is, there will always be fights. They can be caused by many different things, even tiny, minuscule differences. The stress of planning a wedding is usually a contributing factor. It was in this case.

Every now and then, yet occurring more and more recently, Willy and Natalie had been arguing more and more. Whether it was over a disagreement in relation to one of the machines or their work, or something to do with the wedding...or anything in general really, arguments had been breaking out here and there over the last couple of weeks. Although, it was usually nothing to worry about; one of them would admit they were wrong and they would laugh it off and make up instantaneously. The only really big fight they had (apart from the one about Jackie) happened one night when Willy was forced to sleep in the bathtub because Natalie was so angry.

But for the past month or so, things had been going pretty well. The wedding was creeping closer and closer, but everyone tried their best to remain calm. Willy's 40th birthday was less than month away, and Natalie was struggling to come up with something to do for him.

Anyhow...

Tonight was the night of Charlie and Jackie's first date, and Charlie was a bundle of nerves. He was supposed to go and pick up Jackie in an hour, so he got ready, and was now standing in front of his mirror, messing with his hair. Helena was stretched out on his bed, watching her son with an amused grin.

"Will you just relax?" she asked. "You're getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"Hey, I've never done this before; I'm allowed to be nervous." Charlie retorted. Helena sighed and got up off the bed.

"You're right." She said, walking over to him. "But there's a difference between being nervous and worrying yourself to death."

She pulled Charlie's hands away from his hair and fixed it up for him, having seen Natalie doing it many times before to help him out. When she was done, she turned him around to show him.

"Thanks Mum." He said, breathing a sigh of relief. Helena smiled.

"That's what I'm here for." She said. "But honestly Charlie, you have to stop worrying."

"I'll try." Charlie said. "Nat said the same thing earlier."

"And she's right." Helena smiled. "Where is your sister anyway?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, two rather loud voices could be heard outside in the Chocolate Room. Both Helena and Charlie exchanged a worried glance before moving over to the window to see what was going on.

Charlie sighed sadly as he watched Willy and Natalie arguing in the chocolate room. Helena noticed this and put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"They're just under a lot of stress, love." Helena said. "It'll be alright." Charlie nodded his head sadly. He hated seeing the two of them fight.

"Just forget it!" Natalie yelled as she stormed over to the front door. Willy threw his hands up into the air and walked away in the opposite direction, muttering to himself.

Natalie shut the front door behind her and took a deep breath. Her Grandparents sent her sympathetic smiles before returning to what they were doing. Nat ran her hand through her hair before she headed upstairs. When she reached the top, she saw her mother and Charlie backing away from the window.

"Sorry." She said quietly.

"Everything okay?" Helena wondered. Natalie nodded her head.

"Just another...disagreement." she said. She smiled weakly at the two before changing the subject. "Wow, look at you kiddo." Charlie smiled and turned around.

"Mum helped with the hair." He said. Natalie smiled, then realized she was still holding something in her hands.

"Here." She said, handing Charlie a bouquet of candy flowers. Charlie smiled and graciously accepted them.

"Well, If my watch is right, I'd say it's probably time for you to go and pick her up." Helena said. Charlie smiled and nodded, his nerves were now almost a distant memory. He took one last look in the mirror before giving his mother and sister a hug then heading down the stairs.

"Have fun, Charlie!" Helena called out. Charlie waved before he headed out the door. Helena smiled and couldn't help tearing up a little bit. Natalie put her arms around her reassuringly.

"Now," Helena said, turning to her daughter. "what was all of that about?"

"This time? I honestly have no idea." Natalie sighed. She sat down at the table and rested her head in her hands. "I don't know what's wrong lately. We both seem to be arguing a lot more... I hate it."

"Well, you're both under a lot of stress." Helena said. "That's probably what's causing it. I remember your father and I used to fight when you were younger."

"But you and Daddy never fought like this." Natalie said. Helena sighed and sat beside her daughter.

"Occasionally we did. But we always sorted it out, because we loved each other...just like you and Willy." She said. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Probably gone to his father's or something." Natalie shrugged.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I just don't understand, it Dad." Willy said, accepting the cup of hot chocolate from his father. "I hate it when we fight...but it's just happening so often lately."

"Well, you both have been increasingly busy lately." Wilbur said. "Stress effects people in bizarre ways."

"I guess..." Willy mumbled. His anger still hadn't subsided totally, but it was a start. He tired his best to remember what their fight was about. They were in the inventing room working when one of the machines broke down. Long story short, they both blamed each other for many things and it all got a little out of hand...to say the least.

"It couldn't have been my fault...could it?" he asked.

"Was it your fault?" Wilbur enquired.

"I don't know...I can't really remember." Willy said. "All I remember is that we were both so angry."

"Well, by the sounds of it, you are going to have to do some apologising, whether it was your fault or not." Wilbur said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, Charlie had arrived at Jackie's house to pick her up for the movie. He walked over to the front door and rang the bell, waiting patiently for someone to answer. A few moments later, a tall man answered the door.

"Charlie, it's so good to see you, my boy." He said happily. Charlie smiled.

"You too, Mr. Lewis." He said. Less than a moment later, the door was pushed open and Jackie walked out. Charlie couldn't help but smile. She looked amazing. She was wearing a simple pink dress and her long strawberry blonde hair curled with a black headband to keep it out of her face.

"Wow...you look really pretty." Charlie said. Jackie smiled and blushed a little.

"Thanks." She said. Charlie smiled and handed her the flowers.

"Here, these are for you." He said.

"Wow, they're beautiful." Jackie said. Mr. Lewis smiled at the two and handed his daughter her jacket and took her flowers to put them inside.

"Alright you two, have fun." He said. "Charlie, look after my little girl." Charlie nodded his head as he took Jackie's hand.

"I will Mr. Lewis, don't worry." He said. Jackie smiled and kissed her father's cheek before she and Charlie left .

"what time does the movie start?" Jackie asked.

"Uhh... seven I think." Charlie said. "Why?"

"We gotta make one quick stop before hand." Jackie said.

"Where?" Charlie asked. Jackie smiled and reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope and handing it to Charlie. He took the letter and looked to see who it was addressed to.

_Mr and Mrs. T Kennedy._

Charlie smiled and held onto the letter until they reached a post box. They had already asked Willy's permission to send the letter, especially after the last incident. With their fingers crossed, Charlie and Jackie sent their letter, hoping that it would reach Greece soon. After that, they headed down to the theatre.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie sat on the couch in the lounge looking through her old photo albums. Staring back at her was one picture in particular. The one where there were five young faces smiling back at her. It was times like this that she really missed seeing her old friends. Growing up, that was their group; Natalie Bucket, Alice and Daniel Saunders, Tim Kennedy and Connor O'Reilly. Both Connor and Tim had moved from Ireland to London at a young age and met the girls when they started school. Natalie, Alice and her brother Daniel were best friends for as long as they could remember.

The five of them were inseparable during school. They did everything together, went everywhere together...just like real best friends should. But after Graduation, everything started to change. Connor got up and left London, leaving the four behind dumbfounded. Tim and Alice stayed a little longer before they got married. But Tim's typical impulsivity then sent them to Greece, with Daniel in tow and that was the last time Natalie saw them.

Sighing to herself, Nat closed the album and packed it away carefully, wishing to herself that her friends lived a little closer to her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and headed down to the lounge.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Two tickets for Alice in Wonderland please." Charlie said. The girl in the ticket booth handed him two tickets and two pairs of 3D glasses.

Charlie thanked her and went over to the refreshment stand where Jackie was standing in line to buy some popcorn. When they had their snacks, the two headed into the theatre. As they sat down in their seats, Charlie handed Jackie her glasses. She put them on and struck a pose.

"How do I look?" she asked, laughing.

"Amazingly perfect." Charlie whispered to himself. Jackie smiled as the two settled down to watch the movie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Willy came home from his from his fathers with a lot on his mind. He tried his best to remember why he and Natalie were fighting in the first place, but he couldn't remember it for the life of him. He decided to go down to the lounge and relax before he went to find her.

As he went inside he noticed that he wasn't alone. Natalie looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw Willy standing in the doorway. She quickly averted her eyes and turned her attention back to her book.

"Hi." He said quietly, silently debating whether or not to go over. Natalie didn't even bother looking up from her book.

"Hi." She replied flatly. Willy, probably despite his better judgement, moved a little closer.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

"A book." Nat said. Willy sighed.

"I know I should know this sweetheart, but are you still mad at me?" he asked cautiously. Natalie chose to ignore him still.

"I've been thinking all afternoon and I can't even remember why you were mad at me." Willy said with a nervous giggle. Natalie sighed, closed her book and got up off the couch. She moved past him and headed out to the elevator. Willy sighed and followed her.

Natalie got into the elevator and was about to close the door, but Willy stopped her. He forced the door open and got in with her.

"Baby. Natalie. I did something, right? I did something bad, right? I should know what it is, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, you should." Natalie said.

"Ha! I got you talking!" Willy said.

"Damn it." Natalie muttered. Finally they reached the living quarters. Natalie got out of the elevator with Willy right behind her.

"Okay, so I've done something wrong...or it something maybe you just think I did?" Willy asked. But he quickly shut up when Natalie glared at him.

"No. No. I did it. I did it! It was a bad, bad thing I did, and I'm sorry, luv. Natalie, come on, will you? Natalie, wait, baby... you have to let me in on it. Or are you waiting until we're in the room to talk to me?" he wondered. Natalie sighed and opened the bedroom door.

"You're not gonna make me sleep in the bathtub again, are you?" Willy wondered, wincing slightly at the memory.

"Depends if you deserve it." Nat said. Willy sighed in frustration as he followed her inside. Natalie put threw her book onto the bedside table.

"Oh come on Nat, why can't you just remind me of what I did?" Willy asked.

"It's not what you did, it's what you said." Natalie said. She had been working in her inventing room all day so her clothes were a little dirty. She headed over to the closet and grabbed a change of clothes.

"I don't even know what I said!" Willy said defensively.

"You know perfectly well what you said." Natalie said. She grabbed her clothes and walked into the bathroom to get changed. Willy shrugged off his coat and put it on a hanger in the closet.

"I don't know what I said... but I didn't mean it." Willy said. He heard Natalie laugh spitefully from the other room.

"Yes you did. You mean everything you say. You told me so yourself." She said. Willy sighed.

" Sometimes I mean nothing when I say something." He said.

"That's completely illogical." Natalie said.

"Wait a minute, I'm confused...can I get a ruling on this, anybody?" he asked sarcastically, gesturing to the empty room. Natalie sighed and continued.

" Something is never nothing. It's always something." Natalie called out. Willy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Most of what I say is nothing. It's just something to say. You should know that." He said. Natalie came out of the bathroom changed. She held her hair brush in her hand and pointed it at him accusingly.

"No. Men say it's just something to say in order to get away with saying something... but they know they're saying something every time they say it." She said. By this time, Willy was totally confused.

"Say what? What did I say?" he asked. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, not much....you just practically blamed me for everything that went wrong here lately." She said, storming back into the bathroom. Willy sat in confusion for a little bit before he remembered.

"Oh." He said.

"So you remember now?" Natalie asked sarcastically.

"Look, I didn't mean that." Willy said.

"If you didn't mean it, then you never would have said it." Natalie said.

"we're not going to get into this again are we?" Willy asked. Natalie sighed in frustration and threw a couch cushion at him. Luckily Willy was able to duck in time.

"If everything is my fault, you might as well blame the last three and a half years worth of faults on me. Everything that went wrong was my fault. Everything that happened with Connor was my fault." Natalie said.

"Now you're just being over-dramatic." Willy said. "Am I really at fault if I don't want things going wrong with my factory?"

"See! There you go again with the whole _MY _factory thing. If this is _YOUR _factory, then what the hell have Charlie and I been doing these past years. Why have you been teaching him everything you know? Why have I spent the better half of almost four years making sure that everything is working and running fine?!" Natalie wondered. "I thought we'd gone over this time and time again, Willy."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"That movie was incredible!" Jackie said as the two left the cinema.

"I know." Charlie agreed. "Tim Burton makes a great movie." Jackie nodded her head in agreement.

"Makes you wonder." She said. "If there really is such a place."

"Do you think there is?" Charlie wondered. Jackie shrugged her shoulders.

"It's only impossible if you believe it is." She said. Charlie couldn't help but agree. The two walked along the street for a while, talking about the movie and what they thought. They decided that they felt like ice cream, so they headed down the street to the ice cream parlour.

"I'm investigating things that begin with the letter M." Charlie said, imitating the Mad Hatter. Jackie laughed. She thought for a moment before coming up with a word.

"Magic" she said. Charlie smiled and decided to play along.

"Music."

"Mischief."

"Mistaken."

"Marshmallow."

"Mad."

"Muchness." Jackie laughed. Charlie smiled.

"You used to be a lot...muchier, Miss Lewis." He said. Jackie stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Is that so?" she asked, a playful smile forming at her lips. Charlie nodded.

"You've lost your muchness." He said. Jackie grinned and leaned in, pressing her lips to his. After a moment she pulled away and looked to her feet.

"How's that for muchness?" she asked. Charlie didn't know what to say, he was still in a bit of a daze. Jackie giggled and ran ahead. Charlie finally snapped out of his daze and chased after her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"This isn't what I wanted." said Willy. "I didn't want us fighting or anything like this. Why is it happening now? I'm tired of trying to figure it out."

"What, you...you don't know what you want?" Natalie asked. Willy shrugged his shoulders.

"It sure wasn't this." He said. Natalie sighed and walked up to him.

"Then tell me what it is that you want." She said. "I know what I want...because I'm looking at it right now. Do you know what you want? Cause...you better tell me now if I'm not it."

"Or what...you gonna leave?" Willy asked. Natalie looked at him surprised.

"Why? you want me to leave?" she wondered.

"I want you to leave if you want to leave. Don't use me as an excuse." Willy said.

"I'll leave if you want me to leave." Natalie said.

"Then leave if you want to go, go ahead. Leave! Better yet, I'll leave." Willy said.

"You wanna leave? Fine! Then say goodbye!" Natalie said. Willy growled in frustration and stormed over to the door. He threw it open and left in a huff. Natalie sight in frustration and marched over to the bathroom, letting the door slam behind her.

The room was silent for a good few minutes. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Natalie walked out slowly. She looked at the bedroom door as it opened with Willy walking inside slowly. The two looked at each other for a moment before Willy smiled weakly.

"Are we done yet love?" he asked. "Can I come back now?"

Natalie wiped her eyes and ran across the room and into his open arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Willy sighed and held her close, lifting her up off her feet. Lifting her face, Natalie kissed him.

"I'm so sorry." Willy mumbled against her lips.

"Me too." Natalie said. Willy carried her over until they were sitting on the bed. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her tight.

"Promise me no more fighting." Natalie said. Willy smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"No more fighting."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I had a great time tonight, Charlie." Jackie said as they reached her front porch.

"Me too." Charlie beamed. Jackie smiled and kissed his lips lightly.

"I'll see you soon then." She said. Charlie nodded his head and waved as she headed inside the house. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he walked back home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I see you two have made up." Helena said as Natalie and Willy headed down to the house that night. The couple smiled and nodded. Noah had just put the kettle on and was now bringing around drinks for everyone. Not a moment later, the front door opened once more and Charlie came inside.

"Hey you, how was the movie?" Willy asked.

"Great." Charlie smiled as he sat down at the table.

"Did you have a good time?" Helena wondered. Charlie nodded.

"It was great." He said.

"Can you say anything other than great?" Natalie wondered.

"No, probably not." Charlie said. The others all had a good laugh and listened as Charlie told them about the movie.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, Charlie and Natalie were hanging out in his room. She had guessed some of the other details of that night, including the hand holding and the kiss. So of course, as older sisters are entitled to do, she had to know the details.

"You really like her, don't you?" she asked her little brother. Charlie smiled and nodded.

"Yeah...I do." He said. Natalie wiped away an imaginary tear.

"My baby's growing up." She said. Charlie rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at her.

"So, is everything alright with you and Willy now?" Charlie asked. Natalie nodded her head.

"Yeah...it was a stupid fight over nothing." She said.

"I was really worried about you two lately." Charlie admitted. Natalie smiled and beckoned him over. Charlie walked over and sat down beside her.

"We're fine now, Charlie. There's nothing to worry about." She assured him, wrapping her arms around him.

"You'd be mad to let something like a fight ruin everything, right?" Charlie asked. Natalie sent him a look of mock horror.

"Are you saying that I've gone mad?" she asked. Charlie grinned and nodded.

"Yep! You're mad, bonkers, off your head!" he said.

"Gee, thanks little brother." Natalie said sarcastically.

"But I'll tell you a secret." Charlie said. Natalie looked at him with interest. "All the best people are." He said. Natalie smiled and pulled her little brother into a hug.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie and Willy were leaning up against their bed relaxing that night. Nat had her head resting against his shoulder while Willy ran his hand through her hair absentmindedly.

"I have no idea why we keep fighting." Natalie said. "I know we both don't mean it, and it starts so suddenly."

"Dad seems to think it could be stress." Willy said. Natalie nodded.

"Mum said the same thing...and I'm starting to agree." She said. "Think about it, the last year or so alone has been so hectic. Planning the wedding, running the factory, and everything else in between." Natalie sighed.

"I know...but what else are we supposed to do?" Willy asked. Natalie sighed.

"I have no idea. But it's all too confining in here, and that doesn't help things." She said. "A holiday would be perfect right about now."

Willy was quiet for an awfully long time, contemplating what she just said. A holiday wouldn't be that bad.

"Let's go on a vacation." He said suddenly. Natalie looked up at him.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"A vacation...two weeks just me and you." Willy said.

"Are you insane?" Natalie wondered.

"You just said so yourself, a holiday would be perfect." Willy said.

"Well...yeah. But we can't just leave like that." Natalie said.

"we don't have to. We can organise it...but soon." Willy told her.

"What about the factory?" she asked.

"It will be all taken care of." Willy reassured her. He could tell that Natalie was still thinking it over. "If you could go anywhere in the entire world, where would it be?"

"Everywhere...I wanna see it all." Natalie said. Willy laughed.

"What's at the top of your list?" he asked. Natalie thought about it for a second before smiling.

"Paris." She said. "I wanna see Paris."

"Then you will." Willy said. "For two weeks. I'll start looking into it tomorrow."

"Just you and me?" Natalie asked.

"Just you and me."

**A/N2: Yay! Another chapter done. I wasn't so sure about the fight scene, I had a lot of trouble with it, so I got a LOT of inspiration from the movie **_**P.S I Love You. **_**Basically, the fight at the end before they made up is from that, but with some of the words and such changed. I just pictured it as the kind of fight that they could have. Poor Nat, missing her friends...but hopefully that will be sorted out soon.**

**Yay for Charlie and Jackie! I had to add a little humour in there after the movie :) And they kissed...Jackie's right....how's that for muchness?**

**I hope you all enjoyed it and don't forget to let me know what you thought or any ideas...remember, the more ideas and such I get, the quicker I can write the next.**

**Much love xo**


	51. Small Worlds

**A/N: Hey Guys!!**

**I had the most amazing week last week. First I was on a TV show about the AFL [Australian Football League for all those who don't know.] and was actually in the front row and was on camera quite a bit, which was pretty cool. Then I got to meet my all-time fave footballer, Matthew Richardson and he gave me a hug and kiss and a signed football ...soo cool!**

**Then I went to the Supernova pop culture expo and met Alex Meraz [Paul from New Moon] and James Marsters [Spike from Buffy and John in PS. I love you...and is also the inspiration for Daniel in this story!] Both are so sweet and incredibly cute guys :P Alex even came out and said hi to my friend who couldn't get in for a photo with him...so sweet!**

**Then I went to the Kelly Clarkson Concert and sat behind two of my fave local stars from around here; Tim Campbell [ex Home and Away star] and Anthony Callea [Australian Idol runner-up ].. WHAT A WEEK!! Anyway, that's enough of my rambling.... I don't have school till Wednesday so I thought I would get some updating done :)**

**I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the chocolate factory or any of its characters. I only own Natalie, Jackie, Tim, Alice, Daniel and Connor for now.**

Two weeks later, everything was set. The day after their fight, Willy was up bright and early and looked into any possible way to get the two of them to Paris. It was organised that a few days after his 40th birthday, he and Natalie would fly off to Paris for two weeks.

A few days later, Charlie received a phone call from Alice. They had received his letter and were so excited to be able to visit them, especially since Natalie didn't know anything about it. Willy got on the phone and sorted everything out.

He had a wonderful, and very long chat with both Alice and Tim and had arranged everything, from flight details to where and how long they were staying. He even paid for the plane tickets himself, even after Alice tried to convince him otherwise. They were to be arriving two weeks from then.

Back to the main point, it was two weeks later. Natalie's friends were arriving that night, and Willy was in desperate need to keep Natalie away. He was walking around the Chocolate Room after breakfast, deciding what to do. Nat had had a late night helping out at the store so he let her sleep in. Not able to figure out what else to do, Willy decided to go and check on her.

When he made it upstairs to their room, Willy opened the door quietly, not wanting to wake her. To his surprise, she was already wide awake and sitting up in bed. She sat with a cup of coffee in her hands as she looked through old photo albums, something she was doing increasingly often.

"You're awake." Willy said surprised. Natalie looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I've been up for a little while." She said, shifting a few of the albums that occupied the bed. Willy smiled and walked over to the bed, sitting beside her.

"Looking at photos again, I see." He said. Natalie smiled and nodded. She took another sip of her coffee before placing the cup on her bedside table.

"Can I see?" Willy asked. Natalie smiled and nodded. Willy moved closer so he was right beside her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled closer to him. Flipping over the page, five smiling young faces looked back at him.

"God, we were all so young there." Natalie said in awe. She snapped out of her little daze in order to show Willy the picture better.

"Well, that's Tim, Alice, her brother Daniel, Me and..." Nat stopped when she saw the look on Willy's face as she pointed to a young Connor.

"Relax a little." Natalie said, placing her hand on his comfortingly. "He was a different person back then."

Willy nodded his head as he turned the page. This picture was of the four lying on the ground outside the Bucket house, laughing hysterically. Young Natalie was sitting by them, not looking that impressed. Her left wrist was bandaged and there was a hole in her jacket that she seemed to be playing with. Natalie's eyes widened as she remembered this day.

"Oh my god." She said. Willy looked at her confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, I just remembered what we were laughing about in this." She said.

"What was it?" Willy wondered. Natalie shook her head and hid her face in her hands.

"I cant say." She said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because it's kinda embarrassing and you'll think I'm an idiot or probably worse so I really don't want to tell you." Natalie said. Willy sighed.

"Honey, I promise I won't." He said, moving her hands from her eyes. Natalie sighed to herself. She tried to think of a way to tell him without actually revealing everything.

"Okay. Well, when we were kids there was this huge gate that we passed by everyday from school. Long story short I was dared to climb the gate and sneak over to the other side." Natalie explained. Willy smiled.

"Well, that doesn't seem so bad." He said. he couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

"It wasn't...until Daniel decided to scare the hell out of me by telling me that the guy who owned the place had seen us and was coming to get me." Nat said. "The others ran while I quickly climbed back over the fence. My jacket got caught on the top of it and ripped. I lost one of my favourite badges that day. It fell off and landed on the ground." Nat said. "I tried to reach for it but I thought I saw the guy and ran."

Willy sat there, looking deep in thought. Natalie tried to hide her smile as she remembered that day.

_FLASHBACK_

"_I still don't see why we stop by here everyday." fifteen year old Connor complained. The five young teens were walking home from school when they stopped outside of Wonka's Chocolate factory._

"_Because it's on the way home, idiot." Tim said, rolling his eyes. Daniel laughed and leaned up against the bars._

"_Yeah, and so that Natalie can gaze longingly at the factory." He joked. _

"_Shut up, Danny." Natalie said._

"_What? It's true." Daniel joked. Alice sighed and moved Tim's arm from around her shoulders so she could slap her brother._

"_Ouch!" he said, rubbing his arm. Natalie shook her head and smiled before turning back to the factory. Alice walked over to her and stood beside her, wrapping her hands around the cool, iron bars like she did._

"_What do you think goes on in there?" she wondered. Natalie shook her head._

"_I don't know." She said honestly. "But I'm going to find out someday." _

"_Come on, Natty." Tim said. "You know that's a long shot."_

"_Long shot? It's impossible." Daniel said._

"_Nothing's impossible." Alice retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. Natalie shook her head._

"_Except trying to slam a revolving door." She pointed out. Her four friends nodded in agreement._

"_Oh, man. Don't remind me...my head's still spinning." Connor said._

"_Still. Wonka is a complete recluse Nobody has seen him in years. No one is going to get in there, and nobody is gonna come out any time soon." Daniel said. _

"_I will." Nat said, more to herself._

"_Okay Nat. I bet you five pounds that you won't ever get inside." Daniel said. _

"_Okay, fine." Nat said, not really caring at all. She was too busy looking at the factory. She could have sworn she saw something moving from up in one of the windows. _

"_Come on, even if we wanted to...there is no way to get in or out of that gate." Tim said. Natalie looked at the factory in front of her then at the gate._

"_Except jumping the fence." She said._

"_Jumping the fence might...wait, what?!" Tim wondered. The others looked at her as if she was mad._

"_What was that?" Alice asked._

"_I'm gonna jump the fence." Nat said. _

"_You can't be serious." Connor said. Natalie rested her hands on her hips._

"_You don't think I can do it?" she wondered._

"_I think you're out of your mind if you even consider it." Connor said. Natalie glared at him for a moment before shrugging her bag off her shoulders. She took her jacket off and put it over her bag._

"_Natalie put your jacket back on, you're gonna freeze!" Alice cried out. Nat rolled her eyes and put her jacket back on. She saluted her friends before she started to climb the bars of the factory gates. The other for moved closer, not believing that she was actually doing it._

"_She's out of her mind." Daniel said, shaking his head. Tim laughed._

"_since the day we met her." He said. a few moments later, Natalie jumped down from the top of the gates. Her friends cheered and applauded. Natalie grinned and bowed._

"_Okay, you've proved your point, now let's get going." Alice said. Natalie looked at her best friend as if she was mad._

"_No way, I'm looking around." She said._

"_What if you get caught?" Connor wondered. But Nat didn't listen. She had already wandered off around the grounds. The other four sighed and waited for her to come back when Daniel saw something. He could have sworn that he saw something from one of the windows._

"_Guys...we gotta go." He said._

"_Why?" Tim asked._

"_Because there's someone looking at us from the window up there." He said, pointing subtly. The other three looked up in shock._

"_Natalie...we gotta go, now." Connor called out._

"_Why?" she called back._

"_Cause there's someone watching us." Alice called out. At first Natalie thought they were joking. But then she remembered seeing something earlier. She looked and saw the panicked looks on her friends' faces. Her eyes widened as she ran across the grounds and back over to the fence._

"_He's not there anymore." Connor said. _

"_Yeah, he's probably coming to get us!" Daniel cried. Natalie's eyes widened in fear as she started climbing the fence once again. Not being able to wait for her, Daniel and Connor ran down the road. Alice wanted to stay and help her but Tim pulled her along._

"_You guys can't just leave me?!" Natalie called out. She finally reached the top and kicked her leg over, ready to climb down when her jacket got caught on the top of the fence._

"_Oh you gotta be kidding me!" she mumbled to herself. Nat tugged on her jacket, silently begging for it to untangle itself when she heard a ripping noise. The next thing she knew, she lost her balance and fell off the gate and landed on the ground on her wrist._

_Natalie groaned in pain as she got up. She rubbed her wrist and inspected her jacket before she noticed that one of her badges was missing. She scanned the ground and found it on the other side of the gate. Nat tried to reach through the bars to get it, but it was no use. Sighing to herself, Natalie grabbed her bag and ran down the road after her friends._

_END FLASHBACK_

To that day, nobody outside of their group knew what really happened. When she got home that afternoon, they had told Helena and Noah that they had jumped over a neighbour's fence and Natalie fell. When the photo was taken, the others had managed to convince themselves that they were just imagining things and didn't see anyone in the window.

"You know, it's funny." Willy said. "Something like that happened here a long time ago." Natalie was pulled out of her reverie and looked at him in shock. He _did_ see them that day!

"Really?" she asked, feigning curiosity. Willy nodded.

"Yeah, there were these kids that tried to jump the gates here at the factory. One girl actually managed to do so." He said.

"were you angry that they tried to get in?" Nat wondered. Willy thought about it and shrugged.

"Well, at the time I thought they were trying to steal my life's work and sell it to those parasitic copy-cat candy-making cads." He said. "But now, I guess they were just kids who wanted to have some fun." Nat nodded, silently thinking god that he wasn't angry with them.

"I always did wonder what ever happened to her." He said, looking as if he was headed straight into another one of his flashbacks. Natalie shrugged and continued flipping through the album.

"She probably grew up, got the chance of a lifetime, fell in love and is soon to be married." She said nonchalantly.

"What makes you say that?" Willy wondered. Natalie looked up at him for a split second, smiling sheepishly. Willy's eyes widened in both amazement and shock.

"That was you?!" he asked incredulously. Natalie bit her lip.

"Well, you see...umm...yes?" she said. Willy looked at her completely shocked before he broke out into a grin.

"You were really that interested in the factory?" he asked, with a hint of smugness. Natalie nodded.

"You have no idea." She said. Her answer seemed to please him. Willy chucked a little as he sat deep in thought.

"Small world isn't it?" he said.

"Tiny." Nat replied. He smiled once again before having an idea. He held up his finger, telling her to wait a minute as he got off the bed and wandered over to one of the closets. Natalie looked at him, trying to figure out what on earth he was doing.

He came back a few moments later with something in his hands. He put his hand behind his back as he sat beside her once more.

"I think this belongs to you." He said. Natalie tilted her head to the side a little, not sure what he was going on about. He then moved his hand out and handed her something very small. Natalie's eyes widened as she saw what it was.

Her lost badge.

"You kept it?" she asked. Willy nodded.

"One of the Oompa Loonpas found it and brought it in. I don't know why I kept it, I just knew I had to. I'm glad I did now." He said. Natalie smiled.

"So am I." She said, kissing him. After a moment or two, she had a thought and pulled away.

"What is it?" Willy asked, not very happy at the loss of contact.

"I just thought of something." Nat said.

"What?" Willy wondered.

"It's your fault I sprained my wrist!" she said.

"What?" Willy asked. "How do you figure that out?"

"if you weren't looking out your window, Daniel never would have seen you and he never would have scared me and made me run and try and get over the fence as fast I could. Then I never would have fallen off and never would have hurt my wrist." Natalie explained. Willy sat in silence for a moment, thinking it all over.

"But if you hadn't have climbed the gate, there never would have been a problem." He retorted. Natalie grinned.

"But if you hadn't created such a wonderful factory that was completely shrouded in mystery then I never would have had the curiosity to see inside and never would have wanted to climb the fence." She said.

Willy opened his mouth for a comeback, but nothing came. He sighed in defeat and nodded. Natalie smiled and kissed his cheek. She went to close the album but Willy stopped her.

"What's this one?" he asked, pointing to a picture. Natalie looked at the photo and smiled. It was one with her and Alice, arms wrapped around each other in a hug as they smiled at the camera. In her hand, Alice was holding a magazine with a red truck on it.

"Well, when we were younger, Alice had a thing for that American country singer, Tim McGraw." She said. "We both loved his music and loved this truck that one of the guys from work used to have. He had this incredible red Chevy truck, all the way from the states."

"I think I've seen those." Willy said. Natalie nodded.

"We were both convinced that we were gonna buy one and drive it around everywhere." Nat said. Willy smiled. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Oh well, I guess dreams are dreams, right?" Nat said, closing the album. Willy nodded his head. Nat collected all her albums and packed them away.

"I'm just gonna go have a shower and get dressed." Nat said. Willy nodded. Nat grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom. When he was sure he could hear the water running, Willy grabbed his walkie-talkie and called Charlie.

_Willy? Have you thought of a plan to keep Natalie out, yet?_

"As a matter of fact, Charlie...I think I have."

**A/N: I know...it's evil of me to leave it there. I was going to make this a super long chapter and fit everything into one, but it's late here and I'm tired...plus it's a good cliffhanger :P**

**But...if you guys like it and review and let me know what you think...I'll update tomorrow :) **

**Remember! REVIEW and let me know! What do you think Willy has planned? What's going on? **


	52. The Plan in Motion

**A/N: Hey everyone! Back again with another chapter. I hope you all like it. Just a heads up, there's a lot going on in this chapter, switching between all different scenes, so it's broken up quite a bit, but it doesn't really matter much...you still get the whole story.**

**I absolutely love the song Tim McGraw, by Taylor Swift, so I thought that I could work it into the story some how...it'll make more sense in later chapters too. I decided, with some help from my wonderful PIC, that I would base it around the song instead of actually putting the song in here. Who knows, I might put it in at some point, or parts of it...we'll see.**

**Also, I adore the film and book; The Notebook, so that kinda inspired me quite a bit, particularly for this chapter and the next. So keep an eye out for some fluffy and cute moments coming up.**

**A picture of Jackie's dress is going to be posted in my profile so keep an eye out.**

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to my beloved Grandad, who passed away a year ago. He encouraged me to be anything I wanted to be and told me that I could do anything I wanted to do in life. He also was one of the few whom I let read my writing at first and was always behind me one hundred percent. I miss him more than words can say and I know he is with me always. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Charlie and the Chocolate factory**_** or any of its characters. I only own the plot from about chapter 17 onward, and the characters Natalie, Jackie, Alice, Tim, Daniel and Holly. Nor do I own the songs **_**Tim McGraw [Taylor Swift] and It's your love [Tim McGraw] or the film/book The Notebook.**_

**So, with that said, on with the chapter!**

After telling Charlie to wait for him downstairs, Willy sat down on the couch and waited for Natalie to get out of her shower. A few minutes later the bathroom door opened and Natalie came out, attaching her badge to her jacket. Willy couldn't help smiling. She really did look beautiful, even if she had just woken up, or was drenched from the rain, like she was the night before coming home from work. Now she looked more awake and ready for the day and simply took his breath away. Willy smiled and took her hand as they headed out to the elevator.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" He asked as they headed down to the house. Natalie checked her watch.

"Well, it's about twelve now. I'm getting my hair cut later this afternoon then Jackie and I are going to look around for Bridesmaids dresses and have a bit of a girls afternoon." Nat said. "After that...I have no idea."

Willy nodded as he took her hand once more as they headed out to the house. He tried his best to hide the smile from his face. Everyone was already in the house. Even Jackie was there, sitting on the couch talking with Charlie...well, more like laughing and holding hands. Natalie couldn't help smiling at the sight.

"Oh there you are." Noah said, looking up from his paper. "Had a good sleep in?"

"Yes I did." Nat said, sitting down at the table. "Although, I wasn't asleep very long."

"Why not?" Noah asked. Helena walked over with a cup of coffee for Natalie and a piece of toast.

"Reminiscing." Natalie replied. As she was about to walk away, Helena noticed the badge on her daughter's jacket.

"Nat, I haven't seen that badge since...forever. Where did you find it?" she asked. Natalie smiled weakly.

"Willy had it." Natalie said quietly, hiding away behind her coffee cup. Helena looked at her daughter, then at her future son-in-law before finally putting two and two together.

"You jumped the factory gates?" she asked. Natalie flinched a little at the loudness.

"Umm...yeah?" she said. She honestly felt as if she was fifteen all over again and was being grounded by her parents.

"Natalie Kathleen Bucket, why did you do something so incredibly stupid?" Helena wondered.

"Mum....I...just...Danny dared me." Natalie said in her defence.

"Daniel always dared you...that don't mean you had to do it." Helena said. She hardly ever got into this part of 'mother mode', for Natalie or Charlie. It was usually fretting and worrying, never screaming.

"Mum...it was what, thirteen years ago." Natalie said. "It doesn't even matter any more. Willy doesn't..."

But Helena wasn't listening. She kept ranting on more. Natalie sighed and looked at her father for help. Noah had now completely abandoned his newspaper and was watching his wife and daughter with interest.

"Darling, Natalie's got a point. It doesn't matter any more. She was just having fun, like all kids do at that age. She wasn't really hurt and Willy doesn't seem to mind." He said. Helena sighed and nodded. Nat smiled at her father in thanks. She took another drink and checked her watch.

"Well...now that that's all good and over, we gotta get going." Natalie said. "Jac, let's go honey."

Jackie nodded and got up off the couch, but not before she gave Charlie a quick kiss. She grabbed her bag and went to wait by the door. Natalie said goodbye to her parents and Willy before grabbing her bag and her piece of toast before she and Jackie left.

As soon as she was gone, Charlie came over and sat by Willy. They both looked out the window to make sure that the girls were long gone before they talked.

"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking." Willy said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"You look great, Natalie." Jackie said as they left the hairdressers. Natalie smiled as she ran her hand through her now shoulder-length hair.

"Really?" she asked. Jackie nodded. "I wasn't too sure. I mean, it's not that much shorter is it?"

"No, it looks really good." Jackie insisted. Natalie grinned at her friend.

"Okay, now that's out of the way, time to look for dresses." She said. Jackie's face lit up as they started walking. There weren't many stores around their neighbourhood for dresses. But luckily the two were only looking for ideas and inspiration today. The two stopped off at a nearby cafe and grabbed some hot chocolate before continuing on their journey.

"Willy's birthday's coming up, isn't it?" Jackie wondered. Natalie smiled and nodded. "What are you planning?"

"Well, he insists that he doesn't want anything." Natalie said, rolling her eyes. "According to him, all he wants is all of us together with a cake."

"All of us?" Jackie wondered. Natalie smiled again.

"Of course. You know you're family now." She said, making the thirteen year old smile even brighter.

"So you're just gonna get everyone together?" Jackie asked. Natalie shrugged.

"I'll probably figure something else out later." She said. Jackie nodded as they kept walking. They arrived at a dress shop a few moments later.

"Alright, let's have a look around." Natalie said. Jackie smiled and the two started their search.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, Willy and Charlie were in the middle of a search of their own. After Natalie's story that morning, Willy had an idea on how to keep her away that night. He would get her the Chevy truck that she'd always wanted.

They were now looking around at all the different kinds of cars in the yard. They looked around for any sight of a red truck, just like the one in the picture. So far, they haven't been having much luck.

"I'm gonna go have a look over there." Charlie said. Willy nodded and watched as the young boy walked in the other direction. Willy sighed to himself and continued to look around when a sales assistant walked over to them.

"Hello, can I help you?" he asked. Willy smiled and nodded.

"I hope so." He said "I'm looking for a red Chevy truck, like the one in this picture." He said, handing the photo over to the assistant.

"Hmmm....well, let's see what we can do."

oOoOoOoOoOo

At the dress shop, Natalie and Jackie were still searching through the dresses in the store. They knew it was a long shot that they would find anything, but it would have been good to find at least some inspiration or ideas. But either some were too old or too young. Some too over the top and some far too simple. In total, Jackie had tried on about fifteen or so dresses, but none were right.

"Found anything yet?" Natalie asked. Jackie looked at her on the other side of the shop and shook her head.

"Not really. Have you?" she asked. Natalie sighed and shook her head. She put down the dress she was looking at and walked over to the young girl.

"It's alright." She said. "As long as it's before the wedding we'll be fine." Jackie nodded her head.

"Yeah, you're right. But we will have one before the wedding. "She laughed. Natalie smiled and the two headed towards the door. Jackie was halfway out the shop door when something caught her eye.

"Wait a second." She said. Natalie looked at her confused as she watched her head over to a small rack towards the back. After riffling through a couple of dresses, Jackie pulled out a simple purple halter dress. She held it up so Natalie could see.

"What about this one?" she asked. Natalie walked over and had a look at the dress. It was a beautiful purple colour, much like the coloured part of her wedding gown. It was a halter neck and had a slight pin tucked effect around the neck. It was stunning. It was perfect.

"Go try it on." She smiled. Jackie beamed and nodded before running off to the dressing rooms. Natalie smiled and walked behind her, sitting down and waiting for her.

After a few moments, Jackie came out of the dressing room. The dress came up to Jackie's knee. She smiled and did a small twirl to show off the rest of the dress. Natalie couldn't help but smile. She looked beautiful. That was definitely the dress.

"Well?" Jackie wondered hopefully.

"That's the dress." Nat said. Jackie smiled and went to look at herself in the mirror. She actually looked quite shocked for a moment when she first saw herself. Natalie smiled and stood by her.

"You look beautiful." She said. Jackie smiled and turned to look at her.

"You really think so?" she asked. Natalie chuckled and nodded.

"Of course." She said. "I know a certain little brother of mine who won't know what hit him." Jackie couldn't help but blush at that comment.

"I actually think I have a pair of shoes that will go really well with It." she said. Natalie grinned.

"Perfect. Why don't you go get changed. We'll pay for it then grab a hot chocolate to celebrate." She said. Jackie smiled and nodded her head before disappearing back into the dressing room.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wonka. I just don't think we can help you here." The assistant said. Willy sighed sadly. They had been around the entire caryard but there was nothing that resembled the truck from the picture.

"That's alright. I appreciate your help." Willy said. He shook the man's hand before he started to walk off to find Charlie. He was about to head off when he heard a voice behind him.

"Willy! Willy, I think I found it!" Charlie called out. Both Willy and the sales assistant turned and saw the young boy running towards them. Charlie eventually made his way towards them and stopped right in front of the two, almost knocking them over.

"I...think...it's..." he panted. Willy put his hand on his shoulder in a bit to calm him down.

"Breathe Charlie." he said. The two waited until he was breathing normally once more. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I think...I found it..." Charlie said. "There's a red truck around the side of the yard."

"That one?" the assistant wondered. "Surely you don't want that. It's really not worth that much...we're not even sure how far it'll make it."

"That doesn't matter." Willy said. "We'll take it."

The assistant looked at the two with curiosity for a moment before nodding and going to organise paperwork for them. Willy smiled, pleased with their work and turned to Charlie.

"Charlie...do you know anything about cars or trucks?" he wondered.

"A little." Charlie said. Willy nodded.

"Good."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Natalie was curled up on the couch in her room. Her shopping trip with Jackie was a total success. They had managed to find the dress much sooner than they expected and then went window shopping for a bit, then out for a late lunch to celebrate. When they got back, it was about four thirty, and Nat had just headed upstairs to relax for a little while. Jackie decided that she would wait downstairs with the family for Charlie to return.

Natalie was now upstairs in her room, determined to relax for a little while. Her nose was buried once again in a book. This time, she was reading Phantom of the Opera. She was about to turn the page when a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" the voice asked. Nat grinned to herself and pretended to think about it.

"Uhh...The Phantom of the Opera?" she wondered jokingly. Willy chuckled from behind her and removed his hands. Nat smiled and turned around to face him.

"Hey." She smiled as he leaned down to give her a kiss.

"I really like your hair short." Willy said. Natalie smiled and ran her hand through her hair.

"Really?" she asked. Willy nodded.

"Thanks." Nat said. "How was your day?"

"It was alright." Willy shrugged as he sat down next to her. "Yours?"

"Jackie and I found the perfect bridesmaids dress for her." Natalie smiled, closing her book.

"You did?" Willy wondered. "I thought you were just getting ideas?"

"That's what we were planning, but we saw this dress and just...loved it." Nat said. She closed her book and put it on the coffee table in front of her.

"So, we had nothing planned for tonight. I was thinking curl up with a movie, maybe some popcorn...what do you think?" Nat asked. Willy smiled and thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"As lovely as that sounds, my dear...I have a better idea." He said. Natalie cocked her head to the side.

"Oh?" she asked. Willy smiled and nodded.

"I've got a surprise for you." he said. Natalie sat up straighter and smiled.

"Surprise?" she asked happily. Willy couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

"Yep." He said. Natalie sat there quietly, waiting for him to go on. Willy looked at her shocked.

"No more questions? No asking what the surprise is?" he wondered incredulously. Nat shook her head and shrugged.

"I know your policy on surprises, so why bother?" she asked. Willy grinned and nodded.

"So, what do I have to do?" Nat asked, resting her chin on her hand. Willy checked his watch.

"Just go get dressed." He said. "I've got everything else ready."

"Anything in particular I need to dress up for?" Nat wondered. Willy shook his head.

"Anything comfortable." He said. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"Meet you downstairs?" she asked. Willy nodded. Natalie kissed his cheek and got up to get ready. As soon as the bathroom door was closed, Willy packed a few things before heading downstairs.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So what time are they arriving?" Noah asked. He, the kids and Willy were sitting around the table down at the house, waiting for Natalie to get ready.

"Alice said that their flight was landing about seven thirty, so they should be here about eight-ish." Charlie said.

"Meaning we have a little less than an hour before their plane lands." Jackie said.

"But I'll try and keep Nat away for as long as possible." Willy said.

"It'll be lovely to have them all here together again." Grandma Josephine said happily. Helena was in the kitchen, packing up some things for the two to take with them.

"This really is a wonderful thing you three are doing for Natalie." She said, bringing over a picnic basket for Willy. He smiled in thanks and resumed talking with the two younger ones.

"Charlie, would you be able to go and pack everything into the truck please?" he asked. Charlie nodded and took the basket out to the truck.

A few moments later, Natalie walked through the door. She was dressed in a pair of old faded blue jeans and a grey sweater dress.

"Okay, I'm ready for whatever it is." She said. Willy smiled and got up from the table. The two said their goodbyes and headed out of the house.

"So, when do I get to know this surprise?" Natalie wondered. Willy sighed dramatically.

"I knew you'd start asking questions eventually." He said. Nat couldn't do anything but shrug. "Fortunately, part of it happens to be outside right now."

"Okay, now I'm really confused." Natalie said. Willy chuckled and took her hand as he lead her down the hall and out to the factory grounds.

They stopped when they reached the door to outside. Willy reached inside his pocket and pulled out the blindfold. Natalie sighed and turned around so that he could cover her eyes. When she could no longer see, she felt Willy take her hand and lead her outside. He guided her down the steps and down to the ground.

"Alright, are you ready?" Willy asked. Natalie nodded her head enthusiastically. Willy smiled as he slowly untied the blindfold from her eyes.

"Alright, open." He said. Natalie did as she was told and opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the red truck parked in front of her.

"No way." She said. She turned around to face her fiancé. "You got a truck?"

"Well no." He said. Natalie looked at him in confusion. The truck was parked right in front of them. Willy sighed and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. In one swift movement, he threw them at Natalie, who caught them.

"Technically I got _you _a truck." He said. Natalie looked at him in complete and utter disbelief. She looked down at the keys in her hand and smiled. She threw her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she said. Willy laughed and hugged her back before setting her back on the ground.

"You're welcome." He said. "Although, I can't really take all the credit. Charlie was the one who found it."

"That little... I gotta go say thank you." Nat said. She started to turn towards the door, but Willy held onto her hand.

"No, you can't. Not right now." he said. Nat looked at him confused. But Willy simply smiled and walked over to the truck, pulling her along with him. In the bed of the truck, there was a picnic basket and a couple of blankets. Natalie's smile widened as she realised what was going on.

"You see, you can't right now, because we are on our way out." Willy smiled. Natalie smiled at him and shook her head. Even after almost four years, he still never ceased to amaze her. She looked down at the keys in her hand.

"Can I drive?" she asked. Willy smiled and nodded. Natalie grinned and raced around to the diver's side. Willy laughed as he got into the passenger side. Nat put the key in the ignition and started the car.

"So where are we going?" she asked. Willy thought about it for a second. He had to come up with the perfect place for a picnic. He was supposed to do it before, but the whole 'finding the truck thing' kinda took a little more time than expected. Natalie giggled at his response.

"Don't worry. I know the perfect place." She said. The factory gates opened and the two drove down the street in the new truck.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, is this the dress?" Helena wondered. Jackie nodded her head.

"Yeah, we were about to leave the store when we found it." she said. "And I have shoes to match it."

Jackie handed Helena the bag from the store. She carefully took the dress out of the bag to have a look at it.

"It's beautiful." She said. "Can we see how it looks?"

Jackie nodded her head as Helena handed her the dress and she went to get changed. While she was gone, Charlie came back.

"Have they gone?" Helena asked. Charlie nodded.

"Nat's reaction was fantastic. I can't wait to see her when the others arrive." He said. He looked around for a moment.

"Where'd Jackie go?" he asked. Helena smiled.

"She's just putting her dress on to show us all." She said. Charlie nodded and sat down at the table with his father.

"Mrs. Bucket, do you think you could help me with the zip?" Jackie called out. Helena smiled and wandered over to the bedroom door to help.

A few moments later, the door opened once again and Helena walked out, shortly followed by Jackie. Charlie's eyes widened as looked at her. She looked incredible.

"You look simply beautiful, Jackie." Noah smiled. Jackie blushed and did a little spin to show off the dress.

"Thank you, Mr. Bucket." She said. Everyone agreed that it was the perfect dress. Jackie looked up at Charlie and smiled at his reaction. He smiled and nodded to her, telling her that he agreed. Jackie smiled and headed back to the bedroom to get changed once more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The sun was starting to set as Natalie and Willy reached their destination. As they got out of the car, Willy noticed that they were in a small park area by a lake.

"Where are we?" he asked. Natalie smiled

"A very special place." She said as she climbed up onto the hood of the truck and rested against the windshield. Willy was a little confused, but followed just the same.

"Beautiful view." He said. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"Not many people know about this place. My dad brought mum here when they were dating." she said. "As did, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine and, through sheer coincidence, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina."

"Wow." Willy said. "So, everyone had brought their girlfriend or boyfriend here?" Natalie shook her head.

"Not exactly. They've only brought the person that they love more than anything." She said. "Who also happened to be the person they married. And, all three of those couples have been together ever since."

Willy smiled as he wrapped his arm around Natalie's shoulders, bringing her closer to him. Nat sighed contently, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You think this place is lucky?" Willy wondered. Nat smiled and shrugged.

"I guess so." She said. Willy smiled as the two sat and watched the sun set. After a while, Willy thought of something.

"Do you think Charlie will bring Jackie here?" he asked. Natalie smiled and snuggled into his chest.

"I hope so."

oOoOoOoOoOo

At about eight thirty that night, a black cab pulled up in front of the factory. A few muffled voices were heard from inside before the front passenger door opened and a man with dark brown hair stepped out, mumbling.

"I'm getting the damn bags." He said, walking around to the boot of the cab. The cab driver popped the boot and the man started lifting suitcases out of the car.

"How much did she bring?" he mumbled to himself. His solitude was disrupted when the backdoor of the cab opened and another man got out. He sighed to himself and grabbed another suitcase.

"Your sister is unbelievable." He said. His friend laughed.

"She's your wife." He said. Tim rolled his eyes and shut the boot before walking around to pay the driver. After a moment, the last passenger got out of the car. Alice pushed her long brown hair out of her face before reaching in and pulling a small child out of the car.

"You two got everything?" she asked, slinging the baby bag over her shoulder. The two guys grunted in response as they lugged the bags over to the factory gates. The three looked up at the factory in amazement.

It had been nine long years since the three of them were had seen the factory up close. Of course, they passed it everyday after school and on their way home and such, but they hadn't really looked at it up close since that day when Natalie jumped the fence.

"I still can't believe it." Daniel said.

"What that we're here?" Tim wondered. Daniel shook his head.

"No... I can' believe that I lost the bet. I owe Nat 5 bloody pounds!" he said. The other two looked at him in disbelief before laughing.

"But seriously though. I can't believe we're back here...after so long." Alice said. The guys smiled and nodded in agreement as they looked up at the factory before them, like they had done so many years before.

"It's good to be home." Tim said, wrapping his arm around Alice's shoulders. A small sneeze was heard and the three looked at the small child on Alice's hip.

"Let's get inside. Holly's gonna freeze." Alice said as she wrapped the blanket tighter around the two year old. The guys nodded and picked up their bags. They followed Willy's instructions and walked around to the back of the factory. They walked inside and headed around to the front.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I honestly can't eat another thing." Willy said. "Why does your mum insist on packing so much?"

The two were sitting in the bed of the truck after finishing their delicious picnic that Helena packed for them. The radio in the cab of the truck was playing softly in the background. Natalie smiled and packed the rubbish back into the basket.

"Well, she's a mother for one." She said as. "But maybe because she never could really give u so much before, she's making up for it now."

"Hmm...That or she wanted us to have a nice dinner one a nice night." Willy suggested. Natalie smiled and leaned back against Willy, resting her head against his chest.

The stars up above them were shining brighter than Natalie had ever seen them. They looked like tiny diamonds on a see of dark velvet. The moon was shining bright up above them, acting like a spotlight on the lake.

"Willy?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me about all the places you've been?" Nat asked. Willy smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Haven't I already told you most of them?" he asked. Natalie smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I never tire of hearing them." She said. Willy couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What do you want to hear, my love?" he asked. Natalie thought about it for a moment. It was true, she had probably heard almost all his stories, but she was sure that she could come up with something that he had never told her about.

"Well, have you ever seen anything quite like that?" She asked, pointing to the sky. Willy looked up and smiled at the beauty of the sky.

"Well...perhaps once." He said. "I was in the States at the time, in Georgia." He said. Natalie frowned for a moment.

"Georgia? Isn't that where what's-her-name was from...that Beauregarde girl?" she asked. She saw Willy wince at the memory.

"Sorry." She said. Willy smiled weakly.

"It's okay...though I still flinch every time I hear gum snapping." Willy said. Natalie giggled a little as she looked up at the sky once more. Willy smiled and looked down at her. He could see her blue eyes shining brightly in the moonlight, brighter than any star he had ever seen in his entire life.

"The stars in Georgia were some of the brightest I had ever seen." He said, continuing with his story. Natalie smiled.

"I reckon these could be brighter." She said. "I've never seen anything like them."

"The stars are beautiful...but they can't compare to your eyes." Willy said. Natalie turned to face him.

"What?" she asked. Willy nodded.

"I'm serious. The way your blue eyes shine...they put those Georgia stars to shame." He said. Natalie laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I don't believe you." She said. Willy shrugged.

"Fine, but it's true." He said.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Whoa."

That was what all three of the new arrivals said as they took their first look of the wonder that was the chocolate room. The change going from a plain white hallway to the sudden explosion of colour had both Tim and Daniel reaching for their sunglasses on more than one occasion.

"Our Natty's marrying a goddamn genius!" Daniel whispered. Alice slapped his shoulder.

"No cursing in front of my baby." She scolded. Her brother smiled apologetically. Alice rolled her eyes as the three of them made their way towards the house.

"Will you check this place out?" Tim said in awe. "I think it's safe to say this is way beyond anything we could have ever thought."

"That's for sure." Daniel said. "I wonder how all this...is that a chocolate waterfall?"

The other two looked and saw the large waterfall in the centre of the room. Daniel's eyes widened as he turned to Tim. The two nodded at each other before both starting to make their way towards the fountain when Alice pulled them back.

"Not so fast you two. We can't go looking around until tomorrow when Willy and Natalie get back, remember?" she said. "Besides, they're expecting us at the house."

The two men sighed as they walked back over and grabbed their bags once again. Alice smirked and handed Holly over to her husband before they all made their way towards the little house in the middle of the room.

"It's good to no some things never change." Tim said as they approached the house. Alice smiled and knocked on the door before opening it.

"Hello?" she asked, opening the door wider.

"Alice!" Helena cried from the kitchen as she saw the three. Alice beamed as they entered the house. Helena stopped what she was doing and ran over, pulling the young woman into a tight hug.

"Look at you, all of you." She said as she hugged Daniel next.

"How are you, doing, Mrs. B?" Daniel wondered. Helena smiled.

"I'm wonderful, dear." She said before turning to Tim.

"Oh my goodness, who is this beautiful little one?" she asked. Tim smiled proudly.

"This is our little girl, Holly." He said. Helena smiled at the little girl in his arms.

"She's simply beautiful. How old is she?" Noah wondered as he hugged Alice.

"Almost 18 months." she said. Helena shook her head before turning and pulling Tim into a hug, careful not to harm Holly.

"That's it." she said. "You all have been away far too long."

"Would you like a cuddle with her?" Tim asked. Helena's eyes lit up as she nodded. She carefully took Holly out of her father's arms. The little girl's big brown eyes lit up as she smiled at Helena.

"Mum, we were wondering when..." Charlie called out as he and Jackie came down the stairs. He stopped instantly when he saw the four newcomers in the room.

"You're here!" he cried out happily. He jumped off the last step and raced over to Alice, giving her a huge hug.

"Charlie Bucket, look at you!" Alice cried out. "I can't believe how grown up you are!"

Charlie beamed and said hello to Tim Daniel and was introduced to Holly.

"So, this must be Jackie, right?" Tim wondered. Jackie smiled shyly. Alice elbowed Charlie to get his attention.

"She's cute." She whispered. Charlie blushed a little as Noah brought around a cup of hot chocolate for everyone. They all sat around the table to catch up on six long years.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Nat and Willy were having a wonderful time. They were just sitting in the bed of the truck, talking, listening and just being together. Natalie sighed contently as she cuddled closer to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. She listened quietly for any signs of music coming from the radio in the cab.

"I think the radio programs over." She said. Willy frowned a little and sighed.

"Well, that kind of ruins my idea." He said. Natalie raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Which was?" she asked.

"I was gonna ask you to dance." He said. Natalie smiled.

"We still can." She said. She got up onto her feet and held out her hand to help him up. Willy, not knowing what she was doing, too her hand and was pulled to his feet.

"Well, are you gonna ask me?" Nat asked, resting her hands on her hips. Willy tried to hide his grin and keep a straight face.

"Do you wanna dance with me?" he asked. Natalie smiled.

"Sure."

Willy smiled and walked over to her, with his hand extended.

"Now?" Natalie asked.

"Mmhmm."

"Here?"

"No, not here." Willy replied. Natalie watched him with curiosity as he jumped out of the truck and onto the ground with his arms out to catch her. Natalie smiled as he took her in his arms and lifted her down from the truck.

Once she was settled on the ground, Willy took her hand once more and led her over by the lakeside. The moon once again acting as a spotlight, casting silhouettes of them on the ground as well as their reflection in the lake.

"We don't have any music." Natalie pointed out. Willy sighed and spun her around slowly.

"Well...we'll make some." He said as he pulled her close to him. The two started to dance slowly as Willy began to hum a tune. Natalie smiled as she recognised it. He was humming _It's Your Love,_ one of her favourite Tim McGraw songs.

"You're a terrible singer." She said, giggling softly. Willy smiled and nodded.

"I know." He said. Natalie smiled as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"But I like this song." She said. The two danced for what seemed like forever. It was if time had stopped still or the world had stopped spinning and they were the only two people in existence.

Unfortunately, the two were pulled out of their trance by a sudden sound.

'_...FM would like to wish it's listeners a good night as we leave you with this last song.'_

Suddenly, a familiar tune filled the air as the two danced. Natalie's eyes widened in shock as she recognised the song.

_Dancin' in the dark  
Middle of the night  
Takin' your heart  
And holdin' it tight_

Emotional touch  
Touchin' my skin  
And askin' you to do  
What you've been doin' all over again

Oh, it's a beautiful thing  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know  
What it is that won't let me go

_It's your love  
It just does somethin' to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
oh It's your love  
_

"I guess the program wasn't over." Willy smiled.

_Better than I was  
More than I am  
And all of this happened  
By takin' your hand_

And who I am now  
Is who I wanted to be  
And now that we're together  
I'm stronger than ever  
I'm happy and free

Oh, it's a beautiful thing  
Don't think I can keep it all in, no  
And if you asked me why I changed  
All I gotta do is say your sweet name

It's your love  
It just does somethin' to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
oh It's your love  


"It's a little creepy." Natalie said. "You start humming that song then it comes on the radio."

"Maybe it's fate." Willy suggested as he dipped her. Natalie smiled.

"Yeah, maybe it is."

_Oh, it's a beautiful thing  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know  
What it is that won't let me go_

It's your love  
It just does somethin' to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
oh It's your love  
It's your love  
It's your love


	53. Trucks, Birds and Friends

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am so, so, so sorry that I haven't been able to update this sooner. I should be strung up by my toes or something for not getting this out sooner, and I apologise greatly. But, in my defence, I've had a lot on lately. I had to take a huge break from all writing and study for my mid year exams...and ended up passing them with flying colours! [thank god...all those late night cram sessions paid off :P ]. **

**Also, I've been suffering from a very severe case of writer's block. I had ideas to some point, but they just didn't want to be written down. They just played over and over in my head annoying the hell out of me until I literally forced myself to write them down. **

**Also, and I am never one to really make many excuses, but I recently lost my Uncle. So my entire family is still in quite a state of shock, so I've been trying to update in amongst all of this drama that has consumed my life. So, I apologise if this chapter isn't very good, but at least it's better than nothing, right?**

**I would also like to say that I am completely overwhelmed with the amount of favourites and alerts that I am getting for this story...I seriously didn't expect this story to ever, EVER make it this far...and I have all of you to thank. But please, don't hesitate to keep reviewing. Whether it's an idea or suggestion, or just a quick note to say that you liked it or didn't...they really do make my day.**

**Anywho, I hope you like the chapter anyways. I wish to dedicate it to my new baby cousin born just a couple of days ago, who, coincidently, is named Holly. :) So, without further ado...and as Willy would say; let's boogie!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or any of it's characters. I only own Natalie, Jackie, Alice, Tim, Holly, Daniel and a few other bits and bobs. Also, I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or anything from The Notebook...except the book and DVD... I just love it :)**

It was the sun shining bright that woke Natalie up the next morning. She sighed to herself and shielded her eyes from the blinding light that was escaping from behind the trees. As she turned to settle back to sleep, Natalie glanced up at Willy. His head was resting against the cab of the truck as he slept with his arm wrapped protectively around her. Nat couldn't help smiling to herself. It really was the perfect way to wake up every day. It was something she was definitely looking forward to doing for the rest of their lives.

Willy never told her what time they had to be back home that day. Natalie figured that it was still early, so she might as well get some more rest. Pulling the blanket tighter around them, Natalie settled down to sleep. However, not a moment had passed when she felt Willy shift beside her. A smile formed on her lips as she felt him place a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Good Morning." he said. Natalie smiled and looked up at him.

"Morning." she said, reaching up to kiss him. Willy grinned and tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The two sat in silence for a moment, still waking up properly, watching the peaceful surroundings around them.

There was hardly a wind, with the exception of a slight breeze that moved through the trees quietly. The lake looked as if it was covered in a million glittering jewels because of the sun. It really was the most perfect place.

"What's the time?" Nat wondered. Willy moved a little and checked his watch.

"Almost ten." Willy said. Natalie sighed and cuddled closer to him.

"Do we actually have to go back?" she asked. Willy couldn't help but chuckle at her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. He could picture them just staying there like they were. No worries, no problems...nothing at all until they wanted to go back. But they knew it wasn't the case. He knew that they had to get back before it was too late for the other part of Natalie's surprise. There was no doubt that Alice, Tim and Daniel were already at the factory, awaiting their return.

"I'm afraid we have to eventually." he said. "In fact we should probably be thinking about getting ready soon."

"Alright." Nat said, sighing in defeat. But neither one of them made to move. Five minutes had passed and neither had moved an inch. The couple laughed.

"Seriously, though." Willy said. "Not that I don't enjoy just sitting here, but we need to start getting ready." Natalie sighed and nodded. She threw the blanket off her and got up onto her feet. She held out her hand to help Willy up. Once he was standing, Natalie moved to start packing up their things when her feet got tangled in the blanket, causing her to fall. Willy took her hand to try and help her but he couldn't steady his own feet. The landed on their backs in the bed of the truck, laughing.

"Are...are you okay?" Willy asked between laughs. He propped up on his elbow and moved closer to Natalie, making sure she was alright. Natalie giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said. Willy smiled in relief and pushed a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. Natalie smiled up at him as he leaned down and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Natalie deepened their kiss. After a moment or so, the two parted to catch their breath. Willy couldn't help but smile down at her. She was just beautiful.

"Alright, _now _we need to get ready." he said. Natalie nodded and took his hand to get up.

The two packed up everything from the night before. Natalie folded their blankets and stored them in the corner of the bed of the truck while Willy packed up the picnic basket and made sure they didn't leave anything behind. As they were ready to leave, they took one last look at the place; one last look at peace and tranquillity before heading back to their busy life at the factory. Back to creating and working and wedding planning and birthday planning.

Natalie sighed as they both headed into the cab of the truck. She rested her feet on the dashboard as Willy got in and put the key in the ignition. A funny chugging noise came from the car's engine before nothing. Both Willy and Nat looked at each other before he tried starting the car again. The sound came back just as before. Willy sighed and turned the car off.

"I think we have a dead battery." Natalie said. Willy took the keys out of the ignition and rested his head on the wheel. Natalie laughed a little and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine." she said. "All we have to do is call someone to come and help with the battery." Willy nodded his head.

"Have you got your phone?" Nat wondered. Willy nodded and pulled a small mobile phone out of his pocket. He handed it to Natalie and watched as she dialled home. She held the phone to her ear and waited for someone to pick up. Finally, she could hear laughter on the other line before someone answered.

_Hello?_

"Dad? It's me."

_Nat? What's going on?_

"Well...we've got a bit of a problem here."

_What happened?_

"Well...the truck's battery kinda died."

_Ahh, I see. Well, I doubt any of the scooters will be strong enough to power it. I'll run down and ask Jimmy if I can borrow the van for a little while and I'll come and give you guys a jump start._

"That would be great, Dad. Thanks. We're just down at the..." But Nat couldn't finish her sentence. There was a strange sound on the other end of the line. "Is that...a baby crying?"

_What? A baby? Course not, love. Your brother and Jackie must have the television set up too loud. Now, where did you say you were?_

"Uhh...oh, we're down at the lake."

_Alright, Nat. I'll head down to the store shortly, but I may take a while. Will you two be alright just hanging around there for a while? Probably at least another hour or so?_

"Of course, Dad. We'll see you later then."

_Alright sweetheart._

Natalie pressed the end button and handed the phone back to Willy, who was now looking at her expectantly.

"He's gonna try and get Jimmy's truck and come jump start us." Natalie said. "But he said that he would be at least another hour or so."

"So...we're stuck here till then?" Willy wondered. Natalie nodded her head. Willy smiled, which in turn caused Nat to smile too. The couple got out of the truck and decided that since it was such a lovely day, and since they were going to be there for a while, they would take a walk.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Noah put the phone back on the hook and sighed deeply. That was definitely a close call. He was surprised, yet relieved that Nat couldn't hear the laughing and chattering that was going on in the background during the phone call.

Be it his wife and Alice catching up at the kitchen table; Tim, Charlie and Jackie talking in the far corner; or George and Daniel conversing quite loudly over on the couch. It was all going well until Holly woke up from her sleep and began crying. Luckily for them all, Natalie bought the story about the television being too loud.

"What did Natalie say?" Helena wondered as Noah headed back to the kitchen table.

"The truck's battery died." Noah explained. "I'm going to head down to the store and borrow Jimmy's van to go jump start them."

He grabbed his coat off the hook and put it on. Kissing his wife goodbye, Noah said goodbye to the rest of the house before heading out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Willy and Natalie walked hand in hand around the lake. The day's weather could not have been any better. The sky was blue, the sun was out and shining and it was rather warm. They had walked around, enjoying the day when they came across a tree.

"Hey look at this." Willy said, pointing several carvings on the trunk of the tree. Natalie looked closer and smiled as she saw the three hearts carved into the bark.

_G M_

_G T_

_J B_

_J W_

_N B_

_H M_

"I can't believe it." she said softly, running her fingertips over the initials of her grandparents and parents.

_George Montgomery + Georgina Tomlinson. _

_Joe Bucket + Josephine Wilson._

_Noah Bucket + Helena Montgomery._

From a young age she had been told about the lake, and this tree in particular, which bared the initials of all the couples in her family. They believed that those who engraved their names on the tree, were destined for a long and happy life together, which is why very few people actually knew of its existence.

Willy couldn't help but smile. It was amazing that something so simple could symbolise so much. Suddenly, he had a thought. He checked his pockets for something that he could use, but failed to find anything suitable.

"Damn it." he muttered, causing Nat to pull herself out of her daydream and turn to him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, I was looking for something to use, but I can't find anything." he said, smiling apologetically at his fiancée. Natalie smiled at the sweet gesture and leaned up and kissed him gently. It was then that she remembered something. She looked up into the branches of the tree, trying to spot what she was looking for. But at her height, she couldn't see a thing.

"Honey, do you think you could give me a hand?" she asked. "I want to check something."

Willy had no idea what she was doing, but agreed anyway. Natalie asked if he could give her a boost so that she could search in amongst the tree. Still not sure what she was doing, but curious to find out, Willy crouched down and once her foot was secure in his grip, he lifted her up. Once she was balanced, Natalie began searching around. She found a little nook within the tree and searched in their. Finally, she found what she was looking for.

"Okay, I got it." Nat said. Willy carefully helped her down and didn't let go of her till both of her feet were once again planted firmly on the ground. In her hands was a small pocket knife. It was rather old looking, as if it had been there for an awfully long time.

"Tell me that's not convenient." he laughed. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"My grandfather left this here after he made the first carving. It's been used ever since." she explained. Willy grinned and held out his hand.

"May I?" he enquired. Nat smiled and handed the knife to him before standing back to watch. Willy carefully opened the knife before studying the tree, looking for the perfect spot. Once he found it, he set to work on the carving. Nat stood back and watched with interest, waiting for him to finish. After a few moments of intense concentration, Willy stood back to admire his craftwork. There on the tree trunk was a brand new carving.

_W W_

_N B_

"You're amazing, you know that?" Natalie said as she threw her arms around his neck. Willy sighed.

"Well, I have heard it once or twice." he said. Nat smiled and kissed his lips lightly before taking his hand and continuing on their walk. They walked around by the lake once more before they arrived back at the truck. There was still no sign of Noah with the van. Nat sighed and took her shoes off. She sat down by the bank of the lake and rolled her jeans up to her knees before she dipped her feet into the cool water.

"Having fun?" Willy asked as he came and sat down beside her. He rolled up his pants and proceeded to put his feet in the water too. Natalie smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It really is beautiful here." She said, smiling contently as she moved her feet through the cool water.

"You know, this would be the perfect time to go swimming." Willy said. Natalie sat up a little, as if contemplating something. Willy watched her with interest as he noticed a smile forming on her face.

"Yeah...it would." She said. Willy tilted his head to the side, wondering what she was thinking about.

"Uh-oh, I know that face." He said. "What are you planning?"

"I'm planning on going swimming." Nat said, as she got to her feet. Willy looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" he asked. Natalie simply smiled and pulled her sweater dress over her head, revealing a light blue camisole. Next, she unzipped her jeans and took them off, leaving her in her boy shorts. She put her clothes in a heap by the banks before diving into the lake.

Willy could only laugh as he watched the surface of the lake, waiting for Natalie to appear. After a few seconds, the surface broke and Natalie reappeared.

"You were right." She said, pushing her hair out of her face. "Perfect time to go swimming."

"Well, you have fun with that." Willy said.

"No way, I don't wanna swim alone." Nat pouted. Willy shook his head no. Natalie sighed and swam back over to him, resting her arms on the grassy bank.

"Come on, it's fun." She said. "It's better than sitting there all day waiting for Dad to come, while I'm in here having fun."

Willy looked down at her, seeing her trying not to smile as she pouted, giving him the puppy dog eyes. It was a card she rarely used...but she knew she had him when she did. Willy sighed and stood up, removing his jacket. When he was free from everything but his boxer shorts, he dived into the water. Nat laughed as Willy resurfaced.

"What did I tell you?" she asked.

"You were right." Willy grinned. Natalie smiled, pleased with his response as she swam around on her back.

"Although," Willy said, pushing his hair out of his face. "It would be better if my hair would stay back." Natalie laughed and swam over to him, assisting in clearing his vision.

"There." She said. Willy smiled in thanks as they both swam about for a bit.

"You know, I've actually been thinking about getting it cut." Willy told her. Natalie sat up a little.

"Really?" she asked. Willy nodded.

"I've had the same hair cut for...I can't even remember how long." He said. Natalie smiled and sawm over to him.

"This isn't another one of your freak outs about growing older, is it?" she wondered. Willy shook his head before pulling her closer to him.

"No, I've given up on those." He said. "You've made it pretty clear that you're not going to leave me over a grey hair." Natalie tried to suppress a laugh. After all this time, he was still paranoid about her leaving him.

"As ridiculous as that sounds, no I'm not going to leave you over a grey hair." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But I think you look handsome regardless."

"Really?" Willy wondered. Nat smiled and nodded.

"Really really." She said, leaning in and kissing his lips lightly. Willy grinned as he leaned in for another kiss, but Nat had other ideas. With a second to spare, she ducked out of his reach and splashed him with water. Willy stood there in shock as Nat couldn't stop laughing.

"Right, that's it!" he said, making his way over to her. Natalie squealed and tried her best to swim away, but it was no use. Willy swam over to her quickly and picked her up bridal style in his arms.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The two swam around for a while, just playing and having fun [as childish as that may sound], enjoying the day and the beautiful weather as they waited for Noah to arrive with the van. They were now lounging on the bank of the lake.

Willy was stretched out onto the grass with his arms behind his head. Natalie rested her head on his chest, watching the birds and the clouds up above.

"Do you think that in another life, I could have been a bird?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" Willy wondered.

"A bird." Nat repeated. "Do you think I could have been one?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like reincarnation or something." Nat said, sitting upright beside him. Willy laughed a little as he followed suit.

"I don't know." He said, scratching his head. Nat smiled brightly and rested back on her hands.

"I think I could." She said. She looked up at the sky and imagined what it would be like to be a bird; free to fly around, go wherever she wanted. She smiled to herself before looking over at her fiancée.

"Say I'm a bird." She said, leaning back on her knees. Willy looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"No." He said. Nat grinned wickedly.

"Say I'm a bird." She repeated. But Willy still refused.

"No."

"Say it."

"Stop it."

"Say it."

"You're not." Willy insisted, although he wasn't even bothering to hide the smile that was threatening to show. Nat grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing happily as he pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers.

"You're a bird." He relented. Nat smiled victoriously and nodded her head.

"Yeah." She said, kissing his lips lightly. "Now say you're a bird too."

Willy sighed overdramatically and grinned.

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." He said. It was strange how something so simple; a few childish, nonsense words, could mean so much. Natalie smiled once again as he captured her lips in a kiss.

After a moment, the two heard the sound of a car horn. They looked up from their place on the grass and saw Noah pulling up in the van. Willy stood up from his spot on the ground before pulling Natalie to her feet.

"Hi Dad." Nat said as the two walked over to him. Noah grinned as he got out of Jimmy's van.

"Hi sweetheart." He said. He took a moment to look around the place, remembering the times he had spent down there with Helena when they were younger. "So Willy, what do you think?"

"This place is incredible." Willy said. Noah smiled reminiscently and nodded.

"Well, let's take a look at this truck, shall we?" he asked. The younger couple nodded and they walked over to the truck. Noah took a few minutes before going to the van and pulling out a pair of jumper cables. Natalie stood back as Willy went to try and start the car. After a chugging sound, the engine purred as it did the day before. Nat smiled happily as both her father and her fiancée returned.

"Well, that should do it." Noah said. "I better be getting back...and so should you."

Nat couldn't help notice that when her father said that, he sent Willy some kind of look. Willy nodded his head and thanked Noah for his help. After saying goodbye, the elder Bucket got back into the van and headed home.

Willy watched the van drive away before turning to Natalie. The girl in question had her hands crossed over her chest with her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"What?" he asked.

"What was that?" Natalie asked.

"What was what?" Willy wondered innocently. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"That look my father gave you." She said. Willy looked deep in thought as he pretended to think about it.

"Still don't know what you're talking about, love." Willy shrugged. But Natalie wasn't convinced. Willy shook his head.

"Really. But he does have a point." He said. "It's quarter past twelve. We should be heading back."

Natalie sighed and nodded her head in agreement. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew that they had to get back. They were lucky enough to get a little set back with the truck not starting, giving them a little more time. But they had nothing to stop them this time.

As she stood deep in thought, she didn't realize Willy walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Don't worry. We'll come back soon." He said, as if reading her thoughts. Nat smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a moment, just silent. Finally, Natalie sighed as she went to make sure that they hadn't left anything behind. When they were sure, the two got into the truck and headed back home to the factory.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Back at the house, Charlie and Jackie were on the living room floor watching _Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. _It was only recently that Charlie had discovered another thing that his girlfriend and sister had in common; they both LOVED Johnny Depp movies. But then again, Natalie had always been rather fond of him.

'_...If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?'_

"Did any of that make any sense to you?" Charlie wondered incredulously, still trying to wrap his head around that last line. Jackie shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter." She said. "Captain Jack is that cool that he doesn't need to make sense."

Charlie rolled his eyes as he was about to return to the movie, when he heard something outside the house.

"I think they're home." He said to the others.

"About bloody time." Daniel scoffed. Helena went over to him and smacked him across the back of the head with a tea towel. Both Tim and Alice laughed from their spot on the couch.

The voices got louder until they could hear them coming up the path to the door. Everyone went back to acting normal, pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. Not a moment later, the front door opened and Willy and Natalie came in.

"Hi everyone." Nat beamed, taking off her jacket. She didn't really take much notice of everyone before heading over to the coat rack. Charlie and Jackie said hello before pretending to watch their movie. Willy moved over of the way and sat down next to Noah at the table.

"Well, It took you both long enough to get here." A familiar voice said. Natalie's eyes widened as she spun around. There, leaning against the arm of the couch, was Alice.

"Oh my god!" Natalie said. Alice grinned and ran over to her best friend, practically tackling her in a hug. Natalie held her close, still in shock that she was actually here.

"You're here!" Nat said.

"We're here." Alice said. Nat's eyes widened even more at the mention of the others. She was about to question it when another voice spoke up.

"Forget about me already, Natty?" he said. Nat looked past Alice and saw Tim sitting on the couch, looking over his shoulder at them. In a moment, he leapt over the couch and over to the girls, swooping Natalie up into his arms.

"Look at you, gorgeous girl." He said, hugging her tightly. Nat smiled brightly as he let her go. She had a knowing smile on her face.

"Well, if the two of you are here...Danny's not too far behind." She said, scanning the room. Daniel's laugh was heard and her eyes wandered over to her Grandparent's bed where Daniel was seated beside.

"Come here you." Nat grinned. Daniel got up and walked over. Nat grinned once more before pulling him into a hug.

"I can't believe you three are here!" Nat exclaimed. "How?"

"Well, it was all thanks to Charlie and Jackie." Tim said. Natalie looked over in shock at the two teenagers watching from in front of the TV. Two huge smiles planted on their faces. Nat smiled and nodded for them to come over.

"I can't believe you both did this." She said, hugging both of them tightly.

"We thought it would make you happy, Nat." Jackie said.

"It has. Thank you so much." Nat said. She looked across the room and saw Willy watching on happily. She smiled and silently told him to come over.

"Well, I think proper introductions are in order." Nat said, taking Willy's hand. "This is Willy Wonka, my fiancée."

Tim smiled and stuck his hand out. Willy smiled and gladly accepted it. From what he'd heard, Tim was rather protective of Nat. So the fact that he was smiling and wanted to shake hands meant a great deal.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wonka." Tim said.

"The pleasure's all mine, but please, call me Willy." Willy said. "Mr. Wonka's my father." The others smiled and agreed. Next, Daniel stepped forward and the two shook hands. . Alice then stepped forward and the two hugged each other like they were old friends.

"Thank you for allowing this." She said. Willy beamed.

"Of course, it's no trouble at all." He said. "I'm glad you all could visit the factory again." The other three looked at him in slight confusion. Natalie tried her best to hold in her laughter.

"Uhh...yeah. Willy remembers that day." She said. It took a moment for realization to dawn. Alice's eyes widened as she smiled apologetically at Willy, but he waved it off.

"It's in the past. Besides, I have heard so much about you all. I'm glad we can all meet before the wedding." He said.

"Speaking of wedding," Alice said. "Why didn't you bloody tell us you were engaged?"

"To Willy Wonka, no less." Tim said.

"I did! I sent you a letter!" Natalie said. The three looked at each other in confusion.

"Doesn't matter now." Alice said, shrugging it off. "Let me see that ring!" Natalie smiled and held out her left hand, showing off her engagement ring.

"Oh, Nat! It's beautiful." She gushed. "Your man's got good taste."

"Before I forget," Daniel said. "Nat, I've got something for you."

Natalie looked at him in confusion as he pulled out his wallet. The others watched on as he took out a five pound note.

"What's this for?" Natalie asked as he handed it to her.

"You won the bet." Daniel said. Natalie laughed and shook her head. Alice and Tim were talking while this scene went on. Tim nodded his head and left to go upstairs to Charlie's room.

"There's someone else we want you to meet." Alice said. Natalie once again looked confused. But Alice simply smiled and waited for her husband to return. He did so a few minutes later, carrying something against his shoulder.

"She's wide awake." He said as he made his way over to the group. Natalie looked on as she saw that Tim was in fact, holding a small child. Natalie's eyes went wide.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she said. Both Alice and Tim smiled and shook their head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nat wondered.

"We tried. But it kept getting sent back because you moved here." Tim said. "I guess we're even now, huh?"

"Nat, this is Holly." Alice said. "Holly, this is Aunty Nat." The small child looked over at Natalie with a huge grin. Nat could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"She's beautiful." She said. Holly giggled a little as Tim handed her over to her. Nat smiled down at the child. "How old is she?"

"18 months. She'll be two in February." Tim said. Nat smiled as she held the small girl.

"Hello sweetheart." She said. "Gosh, you look just like your mummy, don't you?"

Willy couldn't help but smile as he watched Natalie with Holly. Suddenly he had a thought.

"Why don't we give you all a proper tour of the factory?" he offered. The other three agreed and they headed outside with Natalie still holding Holly close to her.

**A/N2: Yay! Well, I hope this long chapter makes up for my absence. Seriously, I should be left out to all the wangdoodles and hornswogglers and snozzwangers and the rotten vermicious knids. But I hope you spare me :)**

**The next chapter should have some time between the old friends to catch up and all. I would love some ideas or suggestions for it. I have a few, but some more would be fantastic!**

**Also, what are your thoughts on a possible haircut for our favourite chocolatier? Let me know! **

**Much love**

**Taylor xoxo**


	54. Catching up and going out

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry, like x a bajillion times for my lack of current updates. I haven't abandoned this story [or my others] but I've just been super busy over the last couple of months. I had my birthday [woot!] and I had my school's production of The Wizard of Oz before that, then I moved house [again] and now have final exams. So yeah, I've been a bit busy. Also, I've been trying to think of ways to put my ideas down into this chapter, but haven't really had much luck. So I apologize if this isn't the best chapter, but I really wanted to get an update out for all of you =) cause I love you all that much! So, yeah...please read and don't forget to leave a nice REVIEW for ideas and such... Much Love! **

oOoOoOoOoOo

"He went through all of that to try and win you back?" Daniel wondered. Natalie nodded her head slowly. She and her friends, plus Holly, were sitting on the floor in her and Willy's room. After their tour of the factory, they headed back to the house for dinner when Willy had some business to attend to in the nut sorting room. So, after dinner, the other four headed upstairs to catch up. Nat had just finished telling them about the 'Connor ordeal', as it had been dubbed.

"Christ..." Daniel muttered under his breath. Alice nodded her head.

"I mean, we all knew what Connor was like...but I never knew he would go that far." She said, pushing her hair back behind her ear. Tim scoffed.

"I did." He insisted.

"Oh shut up, Tim. He was your friend too." Alice said, scowling at her husband. Tim shook his head defiantly.

"Not after what he did to Natty." He said. Natalie shifted uncomfortably and hugged her 'niece' closer to her.

"It doesn't really matter now." She said. The other three could sense her discomfort about it and decided to let the subject go for now. Nat couldn't help but feel a little tug at her heart when he was mentioned. But then everything came flooding back and she ignored it.

"Ok, it's time for details." Nat said, smiling down at Holly. The toddler was smiling as she placed a hand on Natalie's face. "What exactly has been happening since I last saw you guys?"

"Well, we went off on our Honeymoon the day after you left. We spent two weeks travelling Italy." Tim said.

"It was beautiful, Nat." Alice interrupted dreamily. Tim rolled her eyes before he continued.

"Then we set up back in Skopelos. Ali got her degree for hairdressing and she now has her own Salon as well as the taverna." he said.

"I still can't believe you guys are in Greece." Nat said. Alice smiled.

"Well, it was originally going to be a short holiday." She said. "But _this one_ loved it so much. And I have to admit, we all fell in love with it, so we made it permanent."

"What about you, Danny?" Nat wondered.

"Well, I stayed London for a little while, before following them to Greece. I loved it so much I decided to stay. I help out with the taverna and such."

"And a constant babysitting service for us." Tim laughed. Daniel sighed dramatically.

"Yes, well. The fact that I have no life doesn't help me." He said. "But at least I get to spend time with my girl."

"So no lucky lady?" Nat wondered with a smile. Daniel shook his head.

"Nope, all I need is this little one." He said. "And I know she loves spending time with her favourite uncle."

"I don't know," Tim said. "She seems to like being with Willy. She almost cried when he left before."

The three of them burst into laughter at Tim's comment. Daniel rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the grin from his face. Nat's smile widened at the memory. Willy looked so natural holding Holly. And she seemed to absolutely adore him. She even managed to try and take his hat over dinner.

"Yeah, he did look rather adorable with her." Alice said, giving Natalie a look.

"What?" Nat asked. Alice shrugged her shoulders.

"Just saying, he looked rather comfortable with her." She said. "Have you two ever talked about kids?"

"No." Natalie said, shaking her head.

"But you want them, right?" Alice pushed. Natalie shrugged her shoulders.

"Well...I guess. But it's too early to even think about that." She said.

"Oh, come on Nat. You've been together nearly four years." Alice said. Tim sighed and sent a warning glance to his wife.

"Ali, don't push her." he said, making Alice pout. Both Nat and Daniel couldn't stop themselves from laughing. Alice crossed her arms.

"Well, I'm sorry that I want a little godson or goddaughter any time soon." She said. Nat simply rolled her eyes and chuckled. She heard a small yawn and looked down to see that Holly had fallen asleep in her arms.

"I think this little one's asleep." She said quietly.

"And no wonder, it's almost midnight!" Tim said, checking his watch. "We should really get some sleep."

"Shouldn't we wait for Willy to come back?" Daniel asked. Nat shook her head.

"If he's gone this long something went bad down in the inventing room. He'll come in when it's fixed." She said. Daniel nodded his head, although the others could sense his disappointment, Tim's too for that matter. Alice couldn't help laughing a little.

"Disappointed, Danny?" Alice asked. Daniel shrugged.

"I'm sorry, the guy's cool, alright?" he said. Tim nodded his head in agreement. Alice rolled her eyes and took her sleeping daughter from Nat.

"Come on, I'll show you guys where you're staying. The Oompa Loompas have already brought your things up." Nat said. They grabbed their things and followed Nat down the hall to what was once her room. When they arrived, the three new comers surveyed their surroundings.

"Wow." Alice said. "Nat, this room is incredible!"

"I know. Willy had it made up for me. I lived in here before I moved in with him." Nat said, smiling at the memory. The bed had been made up ready, extra pillows and blankets were on the couch, and a small bed had been made up for Holly.

"Okay, the bed's ready for you two. You're stuff's over there and there's a bed all ready for Holly." Nat said, showing where everything was. "Bathroom's over there and feel free to use the cupboard space and all that."

Tim and Alice set to work unpacking their things and getting Holly ready for bed. Dan surveyed the room before walking over to their hostess.

"So, where do I sleep?" he wondered. Natalie grinned and grabbed a pillow that was lying on top of the couch.

"Couch city, sweetheart." She smiled. Daniel rolled his eyes and snatched the pillow out of her hands.

"Love you too, Nat." He muttered sarcastically. Nat simply grinned and kissed his cheek.

"I'll see you guys in the morning." She said before leaving them and venturing back to her room.

Nat ran her hand through her hair as she wondered how the time had gotten away from them so fast. She was still hoping that it still wasn't a dream; that her friends really were there. She felt as though she was eternally in Willy, Charlie and Jackie's debt for that. Nat then thought about what had happened down in the inventing room that had caused Willy to stay away so long.

Shrugging to herself, Nat readied herself for bed. She found some of Willy's pyjamas in the closet and decided to wear them. After getting changed, Natalie slipped into bed and fell asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After a few long hours in the inventing room, Willy finally dragged himself upstairs. After all that time being surrounded by squirrels and their nuts, he was glad to have made it upstairs and back to the woman he loved.

After the elevator stopped at the living quarters, Willy tiredly got out and wandered over to their room. Pushing the door open, he saw Natalie sleeping peacefully in bed. He smiled to himself before shrugging out of his coat and collapsing onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Willy woke up the next morning, he found himself alone. He looked around the room, but Natalie was nowhere to be seen.

"Morning sleepy head." A voice said from the doorway. Willy turned his head and saw Nat leaning in the doorway.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"A little before ten." She said. Willy's eyes widened a little bit.

"Wow, that's weird." He said. "I never sleep this late."

"You might have been exhausted. What time did you end up coming in last night?" Nat wondered. Willy shrugged his shoulders as he sat up a little more.

"I don't know, but I don't think it was night time." He said. Nat shook her head before walking over and giving him a kiss. As she pulled away, Willy tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her down onto the bed, making her laugh.

"Good Morning." He said, leaning down and kissing her once again. Nat smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Before things got more heated, there was a sharp knock at the door, startling the couple.

"You two better be downstairs in twenty minutes for breakfast!" Daniel called out. "Natalie you know Alice is more than capable of getting you out here!"

"How did she...?" Willy wondered. Nat sighed and nodded.

"They always know." She said. Willy looked a little scared for a moment before smiling.

"What's this about Alice 'knowing how to get you out there'?" he asked. Nat groaned at the memory.

"I refused to get out of bed once and...well, she broke into my room and dragged me out of bed, down the stairs and shoved me into a chair ready for breakfast."

"Oh." Was all that Willy could say. Nat laughed a little before kissing his cheek and pulling herself off the bed. She waited patiently for Willy to get dressed before the two headed downstairs for breakfast.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Morning Dears." Helena smiled as Natalie and Willy walked in.

"Morning Mum." Nat said, sitting down between Willy and her father.

She looked up and glared at her best friend across the table. Noah put down his paper for a moment and looked between the two girls before smiling to himself.

"Same threat?" he asked. Both the girls ended their staring competition and laughed. Helena shook her head.

"Honestly you two." She said. Alice grinned as she started getting Holly's breakfast ready.

"What can I say, Mrs. B?" she said. "Your daughter's too predictable." Natalie's response was to stick her tongue out at Alice before eating some of the pancakes her mother had whipped up for them all.

Not twenty minutes into breakfast, Charlie was finished, up out of his chair and out the door after saying a quick goodbye to everyone.

"Jackie?" Alice wondered. The Buckets and Willy nodded their heads. Alice shook her head.

"Better watch that baby brother of yours, Natty." Tim said. "He's growing up mighty quick."

"Don't remind me." Nat sighed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After breakfast, it was decided that Nat and Willy were going to give her friends a tour of the nut sorting room now that whatever problems there were now cleared up. Natalie and Alice were sitting on the edge of the platform, watching the guys and Holly with the squirrels below.

While Daniel and Tim were occupying themselves with...something, Willy was on the other side of the room with Holly. The toddler was having the time of her life with both the furry animals and her 'uncle'; laughing and smiling away.

"Squil!" Holly cried happily, clapping her tiny hands together. Willy smiled and brought her closer to have a better look. He patted it gently, showing her what to do.

"nice and gentle, see?" he said. Holly took her hand and ran it softly along the animal's fur. Her smile widened as she giggled with her new found friends.

"Squil!" she laughed. Willy soon found the young child's laugh contagious, and was soon laughing along with her. Holly turned her attention to Willy and smiled before reaching up towards his hat. Willy looked at her then at his hat for a moment before lifting it up off his head and placing it on hers. The purple top hat slipped over her eyes, but still didn't deter the child's fun as she tried to lift it up. Willy smiled and helped Holly settle his hat on her head.

Natalie rested her chin on one of the rails as she watched the scene before her. Watching how Willy was with Holly made her smile. He was so good with her and looked as though he was having fun. She couldn't help but wonder about the future.

"He's a natural." Alice said, breaking her thoughts. Nat turned around and found the woman in question smiling at her before looking below. Nat followed her gaze and smiled again.

"He is, isn't he?" she asked. She couldn't help but laugh a little. Four years ago she never would have been able to picture such a sight.

"Although, now we're not gonna get Holly to stop saying 'squirrel' now." Alice sighed. "Once she has a new word, she keeps going and going til the next one." Nat laughed and sent her friend a sympathetic smile before turning her attention back to the others.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Later that afternoon, Nat was sitting in her room going over some wedding preparations. She was curled up on the windowsill, hunched over her notebook, scribbling furiously as new ideas came to her. She had just finished some ideas for her bouquet when the bedroom door opened.

"Get up." Alice said. Natalie looked up at her friend once before looking back to her book.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you gotta get dressed." Alice said. Natalie furrowed her brow.

"But...I am dressed." She said. Alice rolled her eyes and walked over to sit beside Nat. She threw her legs off the seat and sat down.

"I mean properly. Come on, we're going out." She said. Natalie looked up at her friend in surprise.

"What do you mean 'we're going out'?" she asked.

"Exactly how it sounds. We're getting dressed and going out tonight. Your parents already said they'd look after Holly. Come on, Nat we all haven't been out in years." Alice said.

"Let me guess...the bar?" Nat wondered. Alice smiled knowingly. Nat sighed.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've set foot near that place?" she asked.

"Nearly ten years?" Alice guessed. Nat looked up at her in complete and utter shock.

"Oh god, you make it sound even worse." Nat said, hiding her head in her hands. Alice simply grinned even more.

"So...you in? Or are we gonna have to drag you out?" she asked. Nat sighed once more as she thought about it.

"I don't know...I mean, I'd love to. But Willy..."

"Already agreed and is looking forward to it." Alice said. If it was possible, Natalie's eyes widened even more as her notebook fell out of her hands.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Alice smiled proudly and nodded as she got up.

"So get ready!" she said, slapping Nat's leg. "You have until seven or the four of us are leaving without you."

And with that, she walked out and left the room. Nat could only watch her friend leave with a smile on her face. She looked down and checked her watch. It was already ten to six. She jumped up off the windowsill and ran straight for the bathroom to get ready.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Alice left Natalie's room with a smile on her face. She knew it wouldn't take much to convince Natalie to go out that night, especially since Willy had agreed.

On her way back to her room, she spotted the chocolatier himself standing at her door, looking as if he was about ready to knock.

"Willy?"

Willy spun around in shock upon hearing her voice.

"Alice, I was just looking for you." He said.

"I was just with Nat. I managed to get her to come out tonight." Alice said happily. Willy smiled and nodded before scratching the back of his head.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." he said. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure." Alice replied.

"You're a hairdresser, right?" Willy asked. Alice nodded. Willy nodded, more to himself, before continuing. "Do you think you would be able to help me?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

it was about quarter to seven by the time Natalie was ready. She found a nice black and white off-the shoulder top and some jeans and curled her hair. Nat put her boots on before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs to meet the others.

Charlie was sitting with his grandparents, who were all fussing over Holly. After all, it had been a while since there was a baby in the house.

"Well, don't you look hot." Daniel said once Nat sat down at the table. She simply rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Willy not here yet?" Nat wondered, looking around the room. Tim shook his head.

"Alice either." He said. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"Typical. She makes sure that I'm not late..." she said. Tim and Daniel shared a knowing glance.

"They shouldn't be too long." Daniel said. As if by clockwork, the front door opened once again. Nat turned around to greet her fiancé but she instead received the shock of her life.

He was dressed in regular jeans and a blue shirt...not a top hat or a speck of purple in sight. But what really surprised Nat...was his hair. Gone was the long pageboy haircut that she had known so well. Instead, Willy's hair was short and more modern.

Nat sat there is complete and utter silence; a total state of shock. He honestly looked incredible, handsome, amazing...just down right sexy. To her, he was already all that and more, but now...

"Aren't you gonna say something, love?" he asked with a slight giggle. Nat shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled.

"I...you...just...wow." she said. Alice grinned proudly.

"I think we got the reaction we were hoping for." She said. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

The five of them said goodbye to the others before heading out and leaving the factory. Daniel walked up front with Alice and Tim following and Willy and Natalie behind them.

"So...you like it?" Willy asked. Natalie grinned and nodded.

"I love it...but you didn't have to change." She said. Willy shrugged.

"I've had the same haircut and dress style since I was twenty...it was time for a change." He said. Nat smiled and snuggled closer to his side as they made their way down the street.

**A/N2: Okay, I hope that wasn't too uneventful for you. I was planning on this being longer but I guess the shorter it is, the more chapters in the story there will be: P so I guess its better in the long run.  
So, Willy got a style change :) let me know what you all think of that. And I need some ideas for that night when they're out and possibly the next couple of days. If not, I might skip ahead a little bit. So, yeah. I might not be able to update for a couple of weeks because I have exams...but then I'm off school till I go away in January**

**Stay tuned! =)**


	55. Corriston's Pub

**A/N: Hello everyone! Wow...it's been quite a long time since I've updated this story...last year in fact...I'm sorry! I've just had so much going on at the moment that I have been quite frazzled. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2011...I know I did! I went on my trip to the USA with was PHENOMINAL! I got photos with Johnny's wax figure at Madame Tussaud's in LA [cue the fangirl scream :P ] But then like, a week and a half later, I started my final year of High School! I'm half way done and am dying because of it! **

**Okay! So, this chapter has been pressing through my thoughts for...a really long time. I have had no clue how to write it but I hope it's to your liking. I was going to combine it with some more but I really wanted to get something out to you guys so that is all going to be in the next chapter. Also, there will be some things happening in the next few chapters [cough-drama-cough] and we need to get this story moving a bit more.**

**So, I hope you enjoy it! And please, don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Xx**

**I think it's time for another disclaimer; in the time since the last, I unfortunately have not gained any of the rights to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or any of its characters...or the ever gorgeous Johnny Depp :( I do however, own Natalie, Jackie, Tim, Alice, Holly, Daniel, Corry and all the other characters you don' recognise as well as the plot from ch. 17 onwards.**

The five friends continued along the cold, snowy paths down Main Street until a familiar sight was up ahead. Although it had been ten years, seeing the just the front door of the pub made them feel as if they had never left.

Corriston's Pub had been the hang out of Natalie and her friends ever since their youth. As soon as they were about 14, they would spend their afternoons in one particular booth, doing homework, catching up or just hanging out. The Owner, Old Michael Corriston, never had the heart to turn them away, even though they were underage. But they never did any harm, so there was no reason to ask them to leave. As they grew older, afternoons would turn into nights and the group would meet for dinner and drinks, often ended up planning their futures together over a few pints of Guinness. They were there so often, that Old Corry had even dedicated their booth solely for their use.

It really was the perfect hangout. The atmosphere was always warm and friendly, with a great big fireplace for the cold winter nights. Their food was phenomenal; well known throughout the city. And of course, they had great music; whether just background tunes, or lively enough to get people up on a small dance floor. One more than one occasion, a young Kennedy boy could be seen up there with a guitar and a few tunes up his sleeve.

Natalie honestly couldn't believe it had been that long. She sometimes walked by on occasion going to and from work, but had never thought of going in. Perhaps it was because it didn't feel right going by herself.

"God, it hasn't changed much, has it?" Tim wondered, pulling Nat out of her little daydream. As they walked closer, the others could see that he was right. The outside of the building was the same, as if no time had passed at all. Red bricked exterior with large wooden doors, laden with frosted glass. Large windows with a faded green awning, proudly displaying the name of the establishment. The windows were glowing with the light from the fireplace inside, making the place seem all the more inviting.

"What's the bet that Old Corry still runs the joint?" Daniel asked. Alice laughed at her brother from up ahead.

"Are you serious? This place was his life; I doubt he'd leave it, even after ten years." She said, huddling closer to her husband to keep the cold out.

"Maybe he decided to leave after we graduated since his best customers left." Natalie laughed, following her friend's lead and moving closer to Willy. The chocolatier smiled down at his fiancé and wrapped his arm around her tighter.

Finally, the group reached their destination. Daniel walked up ahead and opened the door, letting the others step into the warmth before him.

"Good god, it's like stepping into a time machine." Alice said as her eyes roamed around the bar. Natalie nodded her head with a fond smile.

"Yeah, it's like we're 15 all over again." She laughed.

"Oh please don't. A year was long enough." Alice said, shrugging out of her coat.

"What was wrong with being 15?" Tim wondered. "That's when we finally got together."

"Exactly." Alice joked, smirking at her husband. The Irishman glared at his wife.

"Watch it, Mrs. Kennedy." He said. Nat simply smiled and started to do the same, before she felt a pair of arms on her shoulders. She smiled as Willy assisted her in taking her coat off.

"Well isn't this sight for sore eyes?" A voice said behind them. The others grinned widely as they turned around. Even after ten years, Michael Corriston still looked the same. A tall man with kind, brown eyes and white hair and a smile that seemed to be as infectious as his cheerful laugh.

"Four faces I never thought I'd see walk through those doors again." He laughed.

"You miss us or something, Corry?" Daniel laughed. The elder man chuckled.

"What, you lot running amuck in my bar?" he wondered. "Of course. It's been far too long."

The group laughed and one by one, embraced their old friend in a hug. Alice then excused herself to go and ring the house to check on Holly. Natalie smiled and pulled out of the embrace before linking her arm with Willy's.

"Corry, this is Willy, my fiancé." She said, introducing the two. Corry beamed at the younger man and shook his hand proudly.

"Pleasure to meet you, lad." He said happily. Willy grinned.

"You too, sir." He said. Corry laughed heartily and patted Willy's back.

"Sir? What am I, old? Call me Corry, dear boy." He said. "Now come along, I've got the spot waiting for you."

"You're kidding!" Nat exclaimed.

"Of course not. You really think that I'd give away where my best customers booth?" Corry wondered as they made their way across the bar.

"Well, when they haven't been back in a decade...yeah." Daniel laughed. Corry shook his head as they arrived at a table by the back wall.

Willy noticed that from what he could see, it was the best table in the entire pub, right by the fire and small dance floor. He and Natalie slid into one side while Daniel got in the opposite side.

"I'll go get some drinks." Tim said. He was about to walk over to the bar when Corry held up his hands to stop him.

"Nope, sit down Kennedy. This round's on the house." he said. The others started to protest but the elder man wouldn't hear anything about it. "No objections. Think of it as a...welcome home gift."

Tim sighed and got in the booth next to his brother-in-law as Corry headed back over to the bar, passing Alice on his way.

"Everything alright?" Tim asked his wife. Alice nodded as she sat down beside him.

"Yeah. Helena told me that Holly's having a wonderful time with Charlie and Jackie." She smiled. Natalie laughed.

"She's going to be spoilt rotten for the rest of your stay, making up for the time they've lost." She said. Alice shook her head and smiled before looking around a little.

"I still can't believe it's still all here." She said in awe.

Willy took this opportunity to get a better look at his surroundings. From where he was sitting, he knew he had been right before; it really was the best table in the entire place. Along the wall there was several Polaroid photos scattered around, looking as though they had been stuck there with a kind of superglue.

They were all of them; Natalie, Alice, Tim and Daniel. On every single picture, a fifth face had been scratched out so that it was simply a hole against the wall. Willy's anger seemed to flair a little at the mere thought of Conner...but he knew he was gone; long gone by the looks of the pictures.

When Corry said that it was their table, he obviously wasn't joking. There were carvings and engravings all on the table, mostly initials and the typical 'friends forever' messages, presumably from when they were younger. But once again, more scratching and chunks taken out of the table as if to erase something...or someone.

Tim groaned in annoyance as he stabbed a spot on the table angrily with a fork. After a few moments, Alice rolled her eyes and took the eating instrument out of her husband's hand.

"Stop it, will you?" she whispered just as Corry came back over with a tray full of Guinness.

"Here we are." He said as he handed them all around. When the five had their drinks, Corry smiled knowingly before pulling a small Polaroid camera out of his pocket, causing the friends to laugh.

"New era." He simply said. The five huddled together; Willy was leaning against the wall with Natalie leaning against his chest. Daniel had stretched out along the wall and held up his pint in a toast, and Tim and Alice were in a similar pose as the other couple.

The photo was taken and developed before handed to Alice to dry. Corry wished the group a good night and told them he would catch up with them all later before he went back to his bar.

"How does it look, wall worthy?" Tim asked, looking over his wife's shoulder. She smiled and showed him the picture.

"Yep, definitely." He said. He showed the others the snapshot before searching around for something. Willy watched on confused, with the others smiling in amusement as Tim finally found what he was looking for; a random spot of the wall skirting. After a moment or two of fiddling around with it, the Irishman managed to remove a fragment of the skirting and pulled out a small tube.

"It's still here." He laughed, looking at the tube of super glue. Willy shook his head in disbelief.

"What? Does this surprise you?" Natalie wondered. Willy laughed and shook his head.

"Not in the slightest, my love." He said. The brunette smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as they watched Tim attach the photo to the wall along with the others.

"There...perfect." he said.

"Alright, a toast!" Daniel proclaimed, holding his pint high above his head. The others laughed and joined him.

"A toast, to good friends, both new and old." He said.

"And to the happy couple! Considering it's taken us this long to celebrate the engagement!" Alice added.

"To all of us." Natalie concluded as they toasted to each other and drank.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The evening had been going wonderfully. The group got to know Willy and vice versa and now it was as if they had always been friends.

Daniel had found some pretty little blonde he had his eye on and was now presently trying to catch her attention by the bar. Tim and Willy were involved in some rather deep conversation about something or other and had completely tuned the girls out. Natalie couldn't help but smile as she watched the scene before her; only remembering the shy, fearful man that she had met at the factory gates all those years ago and how much he had changed.

"So tell me, darling. Have you had any trouble with the paparazzi since announcing your engagement?" Alice wondered. Natalie shook her head.

"No not really, thank god." She said. "I mean, they know who we are of course; Charlie had all kinds of interviews when it was announced that he had won and all and we did a couple after announcing the engagement."

"Really?" Alice asked. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, something about the people loving our story or something; thinking of it as a _fairytale romance_. Remind me to show you at home, mum's got them all scrapbooked somewhere. "But other than that, they've pretty much left us alone, which really surprises me...not that I'm complaining of course."

"Well, it seems that your wedding is one that they won't stop talking about recently." Alice said.

"What do you mean?" Nat wondered.

"I was reading some things on the flight over here; apparently your upcoming wedding is quite the big celebrations, with Willy being who he is and you being who you are, they're saying that it's the biggest wedding in a long time...maybe even since Charles and Diana."

"You're joking?" Natalie exclaimed, almost choking on her drink. Alice giggled and shook her head.

"I've got it all in my bags at home, I'll show you." She said.

"Bloody hell." Nat said, shaking her head. Alice simply grinned and took another sip of her drink.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The night went on, and so did the group of friends. They were having a wonderful time drinking, laughing and reminiscing, just as a group of friends should. Willy couldn't remember the last time he had ever had this much fun. Four years ago, if you had said that he would be out socializing at a pub, he would have called you crazy; probably from eating too many dog-gone cocoa beans.

Right at that moment, he was laughing away with the others while Daniel recounted a story from their past. Whether it was the alcohol, the story, or a combination of both, everyone else was laughing, with the exception of Natalie, whose head was down on the table, shielding her face.

"Okay! Okay! Enough!" she begged, only causing the others to laugh harder. Willy grinned and wrapped his arm around his fiancée's shoulders.

"Oh come on, sweetheart. It's not that bad." He soothed. Nat lifted her head and looked at him.

"haven't you all had enough of tormenting me tonight?" she asked them all. The four looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"Nope!"

"Wow, I love you too guys, really." Nat said, causing them to laugh more. Finally, Alice shook her head.

"She's right, we should talk about something else." She said. Natalie smiled.

"Thank you!" she said. "You know, I've got my fair share of stories about you lot too." She said, causing them to look at her with slight fear. Willy laughed a little at the looks on their faces, making Nat turn to him.

"Ohhh no Mister. Don't think that you get out of it." She warned. "Four years of knowing you I've got some pretty good dirt."

Willy giggled nervously and drank the remainder of his pint, avoiding her gaze. Natalie smiled happily, glad with the reaction she got.

"That's what I thought." She said. "Now, Mr. Wonka, get your butt out of that seat."

"Why?" Willy wondered, confused.

"Because I want to dance, and you are blocking my path." She said. Willy shook his head and moved out of the booth, letting her get out.

"Now, are you all going to join me, or sit there?" Nat wondered. The others looked at each other, silently contemplating their next move. Suddenly, Daniel got to his feet. He stumbled a little, having had just that little bit more to drink than the others.

"I'm in, and I call dibs on the blonde over there." He said, pointing over to the blonde woman he was talking with before; who by now was obviously trying to disguise the fact that she was flirting with her. The others looked at the girl, then back at their friend.

"Dude, I've got a wife." Tim said.

"I've got a fiancée." Willy added. Daniel looked at the two for a moment before smiling.

"oh yeah." He laughed. Alice and Nat rolled their eyes, but still smiled regardless. So, the five of them left the table and headed over to the makeshift dance floor in the centre of the pub.

**A/N: Me again! Well, I know that wasn't the most interesting or exciting of chapters, but like I said before, it was going to be combined with a lot more but I thought this will be better to update and give you guys something since you all have been waiting patiently for so long. I promise the next few will actually be worth reading a lot more. Personally, I'm not entirely happy with leaving it here...but I didn't want to wait any longer! Hope that will suffice a bit for a little while...not as long as this one I promise! But I do have to study quite a bit at the moment, but I promise I will try and update soon as possible. Hope you enjoyed it regardless and don't forget to review! xx **


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